


Sincerely Yours

by iBloo, TyyTyy



Series: Sincerely Yours [1]
Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Double Tsundere, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Romance, Smut, Tsunderes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:49:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 55
Words: 250,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22645927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iBloo/pseuds/iBloo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyyTyy/pseuds/TyyTyy
Summary: Sarada loves her job and lost an opportunity because the President gave it to his son, Boruto. Why did Boruto take it? Because he heard there was a feisty manager on the team. Watch them fight, argue, tease, flirt, "accidentally" fall in love, and deny it to the bitter end.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sarada/Uzumaki Boruto
Series: Sincerely Yours [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1629043
Comments: 21
Kudos: 81





	1. Coffee Murderer

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a collaboration between Tyy and I. She writes Boruto while I write Sarada. We hope you enjoy this fic of ours!

Another day, another traffic jam. Sarada took a deep breath as she sat in the back of her cab. It was almost 9:30 AM. Almost, but not quite. No one cares what time she comes in or goes home. She's a manager. She can handle her own time and tasks. But that wasn't the main reason why.

The spot for Marketing Director had been empty for a few weeks now, and Sarada had been hoping that position would be for her.

Three years. She had been Marketing Manager for two now, the other year she was promoted. It was high time. But really? Marketing Director at 25? Unheard of.

But I work so hard, Sarada huffed to herself. Everyone knows I do. She looked at her screen. 9:15.

She has time.

As soon as her cab pulled up to her building, she paid the driver and greeted him to have a good day, and he smiled and said the same for her. Tilting her head back, she looked at the shiny building. This has been her stop for four years, wanting to give up a lot of times, but her mama raised no quitter.

Besides, that Ramen isn't going to market itself, right?

Once she got in the elevator, Sarada took in her reflection. Jetblack hair spilled past her shoulders, and her red glasses were slightly askew. One-touch and it was back in place. Right when she reached her floor, she took another deep breath and stepped out.

ICHIRAKU RAMEN CORP

The big shiny letters hung over the receptionist's table. She couldn't help but smile a bit. Despite all the stress and long work nights, working here was something she loved to do and gave her fulfillment. Her team was awesome, and she had been boss-less for a good month.

She could be the next boss. Her grin grew. The day was looking to be great.

Sarada walked to her desk and placed her things down. Chocho spun around on her chair and grinned. "Good morning, Boss!"

"Don't call me that!" Sarada laughed. But damn, that did have a good ring to it.

Chocho laughed and picked up the paper on her desk to browse as she continued talking to her. "Oh come on, Sarada. Who else will they hire? You sure HR hasn't emailed you for a meeting yet or something?" She leaned in with a devilish grin, "Or are you pulling a dirty on me and keeping it a secret?"

She shook her head. Chocho was too much sometimes. "No, I promise," Sarada smirked and picked up her tumbler. "If Konohamaru talks to me about it, I'll tell you, for sure."

Chocho nodded. "Okay, sure. Go get your coffee before I talk to you," she waved the paper around, "About this. I don't know if you'll like it or what."

Sarada shuddered. "Okay, coffee first. You want anything?"

Chocho nudged to the side, a white cup and a paper bag there. "Already got mine. The line was crazy."

When did a line ever deter Sarada from getting her morning coffee? Never.

Making her way to Ninbucks, Sarada held on to her tumbler a little tighter. The aroma of coffee and freshly baked goods filled her senses, instantly lightening her mood. There was no line, too! Thank god for being late, sometimes. That meant the morning coffee run was over!

"Good morning, Sarada!" The barista grinned at her. "Your usual?"

She nodded and handed her tumbler over. "Yes, please."

The barista proceeded to write her order on a sticky note and handed it over to the bar. Sarada's eyes wandered around as she waited for her payment to be processed.

There were a few familiar faces, all the baristas behind the counter were rushing around, and a group was huddled over at the receiving counter. Looked like there was a bulk order, but Sarada smirked when she saw her favorite barista recognized her cup, and placed it ahead of the others.

Perks of being a coffee addict and coming to this branch every day.

Once she paid, her gaze went back up to the receiving counter. Her drink was ready, and the barista was calling for her.

Hastily, she tucked her money in her pocket and reached out for cup. Thanking the barista, she picked it up and turned around, only for someone to bump into her, crushing the cup between, spilling the coffee on the floor.

"Oh my god!" she screamed, looking at the spilled coffee on the floor horrified. It looked like a scene out of the scariest movie. Never mind that part of her leg got caught (but thank god for wearing a skirt today!) her coffee was wasted! She wanted to cry. Felt the tears coming. Real tears.

"I'm so sorry!" The culprit apologized, concern evident in his smooth voice. "Are you alright?"

Shocked. There was no other word to describe how she felt right now. Even if the whole world had already moved on from her spilled drink, she wasn't.

Shuffling of tissues and other gasps and murmurs were all she heard until she looked up to face the coffee murderer.

The world went back to being silent because her eyes laid on the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He was talking to her, holding some tissues but she couldn't hear what he was saying.

Damn. This coffee murderer was gorgeous. He had gold hair and blue, blue eyes. Even when he was worried, they sparkled. Sarada swallowed and straightened up, her mood lifting when she heard he would buy her another. He was crouched down, despite being in an impeccably stylish suit, wiping the coffee off her lower leg. Her cheeks burned. Never had she let a stranger get this close to her, but for this gorgeous dude? Sure.

"Doesn't look like you got burned too bad." He said, blue eyes glancing up to her face before he stood. "Nice legs by the way."

Her cheeks burned all the more. Sarada cleared her throat as the baristas ushered them away from the mess to mop it up. Thankful for the distraction, she watched as they picked up her tumbler.

"Sarada, would you like to get another? I'm so sorry about your drink," the barista asked. He looked nearly just as sad as Sarada did.

"Y-yes, please." Sarada pulled out her wallet and made a move to the cashier.

"I've got it." The coffee murderer said, brushing her hands aside while pulling out his own wallet.

The barista pretended not to hear, only brought the tumbler over to the cashier and proceeded cleaning up again.

Sarada followed the coffee murderer to the counter, still at a loss of how she should feel. Angry? Sad? Plot this blond's murder? She guesses she can forgive him since he's getting her another.

The man had ordered himself a coffee as well and he paid for both, leaving a tip before turning to Sarada with a smile. "Sarada, right?"

The way her name rolled off his tongue sounded too good. She looked away and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Yes. Sarada Uchiha. Thanks for the coffee… What's your name?"

His smile widened until he was grinning at her, flashing perfect white teeth. "Boruto." He answered simply, but happily, a hand extending for hers.

Sarada looked at his hand suspiciously before giving him a firm handshake. Surprised to find that his grip was firm, but not painful. And his hand was so… warm. "Nice to meet you."

The barista by the pick-up counter called for their names, and the two of them let their hands go to fetch their drinks.

Sarada happily took her tumbler and took a nice, long sip. Finally. This morning was far too eventful before her coffee.

"I'm sorry, again. I would stay and chat but I'm kind of running late and it's my first day on the job, so… yeah."

She smiled, now feeling so much better after a sip. "Oh, don't worry about it. I need to go, too." Turning on her heel, Sarada made a move for the door. For a while, he walked behind her but picked up his pace to open the door for her.

Okay. Maybe he wasn't that bad. Despite murdering her coffee and that fuschia colored tie, he was pretty okay.

A few more steps and she noticed he was still walking behind her. Once she turned the corner, he was still there. Weird. Was he following her now? Sarada didn't mind it and thought she would lose him the moment she stepped into the lobby.

But he was still there. She turned around and asked, "Excuse me, do you need anything, or are you following me?"

"Whoa, excuse me." He huffed. "I am following you, but only because we're going the same way."

Her brow lifted, but she turned around and entered the elevator. She pushed the button for her floor and asked him for his.

"Looks like we're headed to the same one." He said with a smirk and leaned against the wall, crossing his legs and his arms as he looked her over mischievously.

First day on the job… On her floor… What position could this guy possibly have? He looked only to be her age. Sarada wracked her brain for any open positions she knew he could have gotten.

The ding! indicating they reached their floor shook her out of her thoughts, and they stepped out. Was it rude if she asked him? Sarada couldn't even recall if HR released any new emails about having a new employee.

They both hopped off the lift and walked towards the receptionist. Coming from the corner, a man with brown hair wearing a blue scarf saw them and grinned.

"Boruto!" Konohamaru waved. "There you are. I was beginning to think you backed out."

The coffee murderer returned the smile and shook his hand. "No way, big bro. Who could pass up that offer?"

They were chummy. A little too chummy. What was up with that, calling the HR Director Big Bro?

The two of them kept talking and even went on tapping each other's shoulders.

"Oh, Sarada!" Konohamaru finally noticed her presence. "Have you met Boruto?" He patted his shoulder and gestured towards the blond with the other. "He's the new Marketing Director."

The blood from Sarada's body dropped to her feet at the news. She stood there, without a word, not making a move.

"He's your new boss!" Konohamaru laughed.

And with that second announcement, Sarada dropped her coffee to the floor.

This time, no one was getting her another.

.

.

.

Chocho sipped her frappe as she typed away on her laptop. As soon as she heard footsteps approaching, she looked up and lifted a brow.

Sarada was back. No tumbler in hand and she looked like someone had died.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "Where's your coffee? You took longer than usual, too…"

Sarada didn't say a word. Didn't even look. Or acknowledge any of the questions asked. She pulled her chair and sat down on it. Still trying to process the whole thing.

"You're like… scaring me. What happened? Where's your coffee?" Seriously now. They shouldn't even be having a conversation unless Sarada was holding on to it, or for Chocho to know that she had at least sipped from it a few times already. Chocho was a smart girl and valued her life.

"I… dropped it."

Chocho's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and her jaw went slack. "Excuse me? You what?"

She groaned and planted her face on her palms. "I'm so stupid! So naïve! Oh my gooood!"

After collecting her jaw from the floor, Chocho took her own coffee and placed it in front of Sarada. "This looks really bad and I know you don't do cold coffee in the morning but like," she pushed the frappe a little closer. "You can have this while I get you one."

As if on cue, their blond-haired colleague strolled along, whistling cheerfully. Perfect timing.

"Actually," Chocho gave him a pointed stare, "Inojin will get you your coffee and I'll stay here to make sure no one bothers you, okay?"

Inojin was about to retort but saw the slumped figure on the desk and gaped. He mouthed, "where's her coffee? What happened?"

Chocho shrugged and only pointed the way he came, insisting he get the drink. Inojin picked up his phone and waved it around, gesturing that Chocho better explain over text as he got it. He turned around and left.

Sarada hid her face in her arms, slumped over her desk. Why her? This was supposed to be her opportunity! That guy… he looked like he was only her age! But the way he was so chummy with Konohamaru really threw her off, something was up. Sure, Boruto seemed charismatic—a vital characteristic for any marketeer. But at 25? Without even being in the company?

This wasn't fair!

Keep it together, Sarada told herself. And for fuck's sake, don't cry!

After a few minutes, all Sarada heard was some rustling around and Chocho telling people to go away from the marketing department. Sarada was thankful that Chocho was such a good colleague and friend. It didn't take long before some paper bags rustling was set near her, and a familiar aroma hit her.

Slowly, she raised her head and saw the familiar Ninbucks logo along with another brown paper bag. Her throat was dry, and she couldn't say anything else. Inojin and Chocho sat a few feet away, watching her with wary looks but a small smile on their lips. They've been working together for around two years now but it felt like they knew each other for ages.

They just got her, and she was so thankful for that. She took the cup and sipped. Seeing She was okay, the two of them went back to their tables, and didn't say anything on the matter. For now.

She noticed that the two had their chat apps open, furiously typing and chatting away. From the looks of how long their messages were, they probably already knew what was going on.

Sarada rolled her eyes. Of course they did. These two were the biggest gossips on their floor. Inojin probably strolled by Shikadai's desk, and got some information.

Taking advantage of their distracted states, she went back to her laptop and started it up. There as a calendar invite for an event happening in the next ten minutes. Sent by Konohamaru.

She literally jumped when she saw who else was in attendance.

Naruto Uzumaki. The company president.

When she saw Boruto's email address already on the invitation list, she wanted to scream.

Boruto and Naruto has the same last name.

After a quick trip to the ladies' room, Sarada stood in front of the HR's office. She straightened up her skirt and blazer, and after one big breath, she knocked.

"Come in!" Konohamaru called out.

Sarada came in the room, and found the two blond gentlemen sitting in front of Konohamaru's desk. There was no chair laid out for her.

What? Was she supposed to stand?

"Good morning, sir," She addressed Konohamaru and then turned to Naruto. "Mr. President, it's been a while. How are you?"

Naruto grinned and stood, extending his hand towards her. "Sarada, so nice to see you again!"

His handshake was firm, and his hand was also warm… much like the other person's in this room. She didn't dare look at him.

That coffee murderer was also an opportunity stealer! No way was she looking, even if he was grinning at her.

As soon as Naruto let go of her hand, he offered his seat. "Please, sit down."

"Oh, no, sir." She grinned. "I'm fine. I can stand."

Of course she had to say that. In a room full of men, with higher authority, what was she supposed to say?

"Take mine," Boruto said, taking a stand. He moved aside and gestured to the seat. "Seriously."

Sarada swallowed. Even if her pride was hard to let go, she had to. This guy was going to be her new boss. "Thank you." She replied as she took a seat.

Naruto grinned and settled back into his seat and Konohamaru was looking absolutely ecstatic.

"Sarada, I'm so excited for you." The HR director started. "I know it was just recent that the previous marketing director resigned, but we found a quick and capable person to fill the position!" He clapped his hands together, "and because you have been such a good performer, Naruto decided to rearrange the marketing team's organization chart and promote you!"

Promote me? How? He stole it from me! She huffed internally. But of course, she was all smiles on the outside.

Naruto cut in this time. "We thought it was time that you handled people. You've been with us since you were an intern. And have made great steps and projects to make the company successful."

Sarada couldn't help but smile a little bit more. Naruto always sounded so genuine whenever he was giving praise. And to hear it come from him was such a great feeling. "Thank you, sir."

"Chocho and Inojin are great employees," Konohamaru said. "You get along so well, and to ease the load for the new marketing director, we decided to have them report directly to you now."

What? Now, this was a surprise. "Really?" Was all she could say.

"Yes!" Konohamaru grinned. "And you will be reporting to the new director, Boruto. You will be the only one on the team to do so. Now, should you need an extra headcount, they will also report to you."

This guy… was making her a shield. Shielding the two from Boruto or Boruto from the two. Either way, she was caught in between.

"I know it's a lot to take in," the HR director said slowly. "But Naruto, with Boruto's help, did give a very generous raise for the new responsibility."

Raise? Oh my god.

Naruto slid a sheet of paper towards her and placed his own pen on it. It was silver, with a cursive engraving, "best dad ever" on it. He's had this pen for years, and Sarada saw him use it whenever he had to sign important documents. She looked at the pen and paper and then at Naruto.

He smiled warmly at her. "If you don't want the responsibility, we understand as well."

Sarada bit her lower lip. They were putting her on the spot. She looked up at Boruto, who gave her a sunny smile. Okay. That was a mistake, her eyes darted back to the pen and paper.

Shakily, she took the pen and signed her name on the contract. The amount on the paper made her want to scream. It was so much more than she could have expected. As she finished up signing and thanking the men in the room, she asked herself just what the hell did she sign herself up for.

That day went by too fast for her liking. It was like she was caught in a dream. Her salary had been doubled. She was promoted. Had her colleagues be moved under her. But only one thing turned it into a nightmare.

The promotion she wanted wasn't given to her, instead, it was given to the president's son, Boruto Uzumaki.

"He isn't even all that great, Mama!" Sarada fumed. Her phone was next to her as she chopped up vegetables for her dinner. "He hasn't even worked anywhere else before this! And he gets to be the director!"

"How is that even possible?" Her mother asked. Even if Sakura's voice was naturally soothing, the disbelief and irritation were far too clear.

"Inojin and Chocho found his profiles. It didn't even take them an hour to know his whole life story. Can you believe he had it all on Ninstagram? Who even does that?!" Sarada was so angry her chopping was getting harder.

"Can you really know all of that through his account?" Sakura asked.

"He's been traveling around, taking gap years." She emphasized the S a little too much. "He graduated a year later than I did but we found that he's older than me by a year. Apparently he and Shikadai are friends, too. Same university."

In the background, Sarada could hear her papa talking, but it wasn't clear enough for her to hear. "Hold on, papa I can't hear you."

"I said he's a thief."

"You bet he is!" Sarada agreed way too fast. "He hasn't worked a day in his liiiife!" She whined. "Papa it isn't faaaair!"

"Oh my baby," Sakura replied, sounding so sorry for her daughter. "Darling, if he isn't fit for the position, I'm sure they'll see that and do something about it."

"But he's the president's son! He's like, immuned, for sure. You know how much Naruto spoils his kids!" Sarada stopped chopping and placed the knife down. She picked up her phone and plopped down on the sofa. "It isn't fair," she repeated softly, voice sounding so defeated.

"I should kick his ass." Sasuke scoffed. "He's obviously an entitled brat. Only you deserve the position."

Sarada heard a slap! "Sasuke-kun!"

That made her giggle. Even as the years go by, her parents never changed. Now that she lived alone, Sarada often found herself missing them. "Mama, take it easy on Papa. He's on my side."

"Yeah, and you know I'm right. He stole the position from Sarada just because his father owns the company."

Sakura groaned. "You would do the exact same thing!" Sarada could practically hear her Mama roll her eyes. This made her laugh.

"That's completely different!" Sasuke huffed. "Sarada is… my cute little peanut."

"Oh my god, Papa. Stop calling me that!" Sarada laughed. "But yeah, I know you would do the same thing for me. I get why Naruto did it."

"Still, darling," Sakura grabbed the phone and her voice came in a little louder. "I know you'll do great and the extra money is a really nice offer."

She sighed. "I know. It's one good thing that came out of this."

"If you need me to go up there, all you need to do is say the word and papa will take care of that brat. Okay?" Sasuke spoke smoothly, tone soft and concerned.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura chided him, and the phone made a bunch of sounds, Sarada could only guess one of them dropped it.

Sarada laughed again. Her Papa always was so protective and supportive of her. The two of them always made sure her wellbeing and happiness came first and she was more than thankful for it. After a few seconds of still not hearing anything coherent, Sarada ended the call and sent them a text.

"Thank you for the call. I feel so much better now. Thank you for always having my back. Mama, don't get too mad at Papa. I know you'll come to kill him if I asked, too. Haha! I love you!"

With that, she went back to the kitchen to finish preparing her dinner. Making a little more so she could bring some for her lunch at work tomorrow, and enough to share with Inojin and Chocho.

Sarada turned on Ninflix to watch as she ate. It helped to fill the silence in the apartment, and distract her from her troubles. Cleaning up the dishes and preparing her lunch for the following day, Sarada padded over to her bedroom. Picking up a book to read before she slept. Feeling too distracted, she decided to stop after three pages and just turned in.

Slipping under the covers and tucking herself in, she ignored the empty space on the right side of her bed and closed her eyes.

The worst was over. Tomorrow would be a better day. At least, she hoped it would be.


	2. Calling The Shots

After finishing university, Boruto had plans to take a nice, long vacation. After six years of intense studies, he just wanted to take it easy for a while. It was all planned out, after a week of relaxing home life he would begin a luxurious tropical vacation. The beach was within his reach, lots of sun, warm ocean water and clear blue skies.

As if he was so lucky.

Four days.

Four days was all he had before his father dropped a bomb on him.

Boruto was laid out on his living room floor on his side, snacking on chips instead of working out like he should have been. Instead of doing something productive or… healthy, he was binge-watching four seasons of comedic thriller and stuffing his face with anything he wouldn't normally even have in his house.

He was living the life.

It wasn't even noon yet but that didn't stop him from having a few beers either. Needless to say, he was in no position to face any family members whenever his front door opened.

"Dad!" Boruto screeched and jumped into a sitting position. Too many jump-scares had left him on edge and he wasn't expecting the intrusion.

He wasn't dressed. His spot on the floor was a mess. He was a mess. There was no way he could hide the beer bottles he hadn't bothered to carry to the garbage yet.

"Boruto, we need to talk," Naruto said as he closed the door behind himself and started walking towards him.

"This… this isn't what it looks like." He quickly said in his defense, scrambling to his feet to gather his trash in a hurry.

Naruto shook his head, smiling fondly at his son. "Relax, I'm not here to ruin your celebrating. You deserve it, Boruto."

His father's kind words or his sweet smile did not settle the younger Uzumaki. Not another word fell from his lips until after he'd cleaned his mess completely and then joined Naruto on the couch. For his dad to visit without notice, it had to be something important.

"So… what is it?" Boruto asked while trying to mask his concern.

Not my vacation.

"You're not going to like it, but just let me explain."

Fuck, it's my vacation.

Boruto didn't speak, he just waited and listened to his father explain his company's current predicament—or lack of a marketing director. It brought about a long conversation with Naruto pitching the position to his son as professionally as any director would—and Boruto explaining his own reasoning for not wanting to accept.

It wasn't that he couldn't handle the job, it was that he didn't want that job.

He had not spent the last six years working towards his dreams for him to just push them aside and settle.

He wasn't settling for anything.

However, after listening to his father's reasoning throughout the course of an hour, Boruto relented. Because Naruto really needed him for this and it wouldn't be forever.

What luck it was to learn that the young woman Naruto spoke so highly of, Sarada, happened to be the same woman he bumped into at Ninbucks. Oh, she was beautiful in all the right ways and those legs… he hadn't minded cleaning the coffee off of them one bit. The instant he learned her name, he knew she was the one. She had a sophisticated look about her that only intrigued him more.

He didn't give his last name because he knew it would bring about some questions and she was smart, so she's probably figured it out pretty easily. It had been much more amusing to see her accusing him of following her. She was a spitfire and Boruto likes that a lot.

She spilled her coffee again.

It seems Sarada really hasn't expected him to be her new boss and truthfully didn't appear happy at all. Boruto never said anything though and it was less than a minute later that his father called him into the office. It was a lot to take in, but nothing he couldn't handle.

He knew of his father's plans for Sarada, so Boruto proposed her promotion and pay raise. It was only right, the girl deserved something.

How much fun would he have seeing how dedicated she was to her job?

A lot.

Oh, she was definitely a strong-willed woman, prideful too. She was also cautious and thorough, even under pressure. Sarada knew how to act appropriately in any circumstance and that was important. She didn't cave.

His first day had been interesting, to say the least, and it definitely left him feeling a lot lighter about his new position.

The morning of day number two on the job, when things were set to be as real for Boruto as they would get, he brought in some things for his office and stopped for coffee and a bagel before going in.

Wanting to get settled, Boruto arrived nearly an hour early to prepare himself for the day. His father had been pulling a lot of slack since losing the previous marketing director and he'd poured everything into Boruto without remorse.

He might've had two hours of sleep, but he was in a relatively good mood. After organizing his desk and getting his computer up and running, he started going over the remaining spreadsheets he hadn't gotten to because of passing out. Finally, he enjoyed his bagel and coffee. Ninbucks was truly a lifesaver.

Soon, it was time for everyone else to start piling in and Boruto was sipping the last of his coffee. There was plenty of work to do for them all, but the employees were good. Enough that they impressed Boruto, even if things could be a little unethical at times. Learning more about them was important, they were a team and understanding one another was something that had to be done. He hadn't chatted with Inojin and Chocho yet.

That needed to change, so he called the team into his office, along with Sarada of course. She would be the one reporting to him for them and herself and he would relay most things through her, but he wanted them to know who he was.

The three of them walked into his office, and Inojin closed the door. Boruto sat behind his desk and looked at the three of them. Chocho was the first to enter, dressed as fabulous as her personality appeared. The air of confidence she carried made Boruto feel some form of pride, having her along with Sarada was sure to be a blessing.

Inojin was a wonderful graphic artist who seemed quiet at first glance. Boruto wasn't sure what to think about him from just looking at him, but he was well aware of his skills. Truly an asset to the team.

And then there was Sarada.

Dressed as impeccably as the day before—and in another skirt—Sarada appeared absolutely perfect. Not a hair on her head was out of place and she looked completely in her element. Boruto feared he would get lost in those gorgeous black eyes if he stared more than a few seconds, so he forced his gaze aside and stood to greet them properly.

"Good morning. Inojin, Chocho, I wanted to formally introduce myself," He said, extending his hand first to Chocho for a quick shake and then Inojin. With a smile, he then turned his eyes back to Sarada. "We already met."

Sarada nodded her head, forcing to keep the smirk on her lips at bay. "Indeed we have." She turned to the two other people in the room and smiled at them before turning back to face Boruto. "Thank you for the opportunity again, we all look forward to working with you and have you lead our team."

"I'm sure we'll do great work together. I don't want to give anyone any trouble, as I know you three are responsible and capable of doing your work efficiently. All I ask is that you continue to do your best and show me that you love your work. Because if you don't, we don't need you."

Inojin pulled a face at the last line, "Excuse me? I don't think I heard that right."

Sarada gave him a pointed stare, but Inojin did not give his attitude up. He threw his hands up in the air and gave Sarada a questioning look. "Did you hear that right?"

Taking a deep breath in, Sarada turned back to face Boruto, no smile this time. "Fully understood. We expect no less of the same from you."

Chocho snickered. The room's aura went from light and encouraging to claws and attitude out. The guy behind the desk looked like an angel but by the looks of his own smirk, he surely wasn't. "Work just got a lot more interesting," she side-eyed Sarada, who had no trace of emotions on her face, but swore she could see the fire in her onyx eyes.

"Is that all? We need to get back to work," Sarada said.

"Actually, you can take a seat. Chocho, Inojin, you may get back to work." Boruto waved at them with a grin and then gestures to the seat across from his desk for Sarada.

She sat down and straightened out her skirt, waiting for him to settle into his seat. Oh, she was quite a sight. Boruto could have looked at her all day, he couldn't decide what he liked about her the most.

Everything.

"So," he smoothed down his tie as he sat back in his seat and smiled at her. "You seem to be close to your coworkers. I take it they're not upset with your promotion?"

A tight smile set on her lips. "Of course not. They expected something like this to happen. They're both amazing colleagues." The little party the two set up that night for her was something she didn't dare mention to Boruto.

"You know how important leadership is. I expect great things from you. Can you truly handle those two and keep them and yourself on top of everything? I want you to prove to me how great you are."

How dare he question her capabilities. Her smile widened. "Without a doubt." She leaned into him, and added smugly, "I hope you can keep me, and yourself on top of everything as well, Boruto."

That was a challenge Boruto was happy to accept. He couldn't stop grinning as he leaned back in his seat, blue eyes never leaving her. "That won't be a problem. Doubt me if you want, but I'm more than qualified for the position."

I highly doubt it, she thought. But grinned at him nonetheless. "I'm sure you are." The time the three of them spent stalking him instead of working yesterday could have said otherwise. He had good grades and did top his batch. Looks like the gap year story was a wrong assumption. But 6-years? He slacked and probably took fewer units to have it easier than the rest…

"If you ever need my help, though, just ping me." Her words were sweet, as was her tone, but she was more than sure he would be running to her for help on a daily. He had to. Even the previous marketing director was dependent on her, and she was twice Sarada's age and had much more experience. Boruto would be eating out of the palm of her hand in no time.

"Oh yes. You'll be of great use to me, Sarada." Boruto toned down his smile, hard as it was and forced his attention to his computer. He had to get her out of there, she excited him a little too much. "Thank you for your time."

She stood up and thanked him as well before leaving his office and closing his door with a soft click, though not before he got a good, long look at her backside.

Yeah. Every inch of her was perfection.

When lunchtime came around, Boruto didn't realize it. He was too invested in going over Sarada's last two dozen reports. Oh, she was detailed and good. So good, it didn't make sense how proud he was of her, but he couldn't help how he felt. Somehow, he was actually enjoying himself but then a knock on his door pulled him away from her flawless work.

"Come in."

The door opened, and a guy with a spiky pony-tail came in. "Yo. Welcome to the Ramen business, Boruto."

"Shikadai!" Boruto beamed, standing up quickly to shake hands with a familiar face. "It's been a while, still getting along well here?"

Shikadai grinned. "Yeah, moved here a year back. So far, it's been pretty easy in Supply. The Marketing and Sales team here is actually pretty decent, you know? Well, it was. Now you're here, I'm not so sure," he snickered.

"Fuck you—I mean, whatever." Boruto scoffed, glad his slip up had been around someone he knew outside of this place. "Did you come by just to drag me down?"

Shikadai laughed. "Yeah, that was a bonus, but no," he lifted a lunch box. "Came by to ask you if you wanted to have lunch? Do you bring it, or do you need to buy it? I can show you where most of the guys get lunch around here if ever."

"I didn't bring anything today. Crazy night last night." Boruto rolled his eyes when his words sounded as if he did something more interesting than work. "I guess I'll join you. Gotta eat, right?"

Laughing, Boruto walked around his desk to leave with Shikadai. The small restaurant that was frequented by most employees wasn't far and the selection wasn't grand, but it was satisfying. It was a nice, calm day with other employees coming by as they sat down together to eat.

"Hey, Shikadai!" A girl with pigtails greeted him, a warm smile on her face.

"Ah, Namida." Shikadai returned the smile and then turned to Boruto, "This is Boruto, the new Marketing Director. Boruto, Namida. She works in Finance."

Boruto waved, not wanting to talk as he had food in his mouth.

Namida greeted him but turned quickly to Shikadai. "Just wanted to check if you were going later? I haven't confirmed yet, but the Ninpub usually fills up quickly, and Inojin wanted to set the headcount for the reservation."

"Oh right, for Sarada, right? Yeah, I'll be there. I'll text him."

"Great!" Namida waved at them before leaving.

"What's this for Sarada?" Boruto asked as the girl walked away, barely taking the time to swallow his mouthful.

"Ah, something Chocho and Inojin put together for her promotion," Shikadai took a sip of his water and then continued. "Didn't you get an invitation? It's happening after work at the bar nearby."

"Must have missed the memo." Boruto shrugged, but he was a little wounded he hadn't been invited. Why, he didn't know. "What time is this happening?"

"Uuuhh," Shikadai pulled out his phone to read the email. "Seven. I expect Sarada to come a little later, though. We have a meeting ending a little late beforehand. Will you walk with us?"

"Oh, I may be a little late myself. I'll just see you guys there." Boruto smiled and then took another bite of his sandwich.

Being uninvited was a little unsettling, but he was new and Sarada wasn't exactly very happy with him right now so he could understand it on some level. That didn't mean he was willing to miss out on seeing her outside of work. He went back to his office wondering what she'd be wearing, how she would act. Maybe she would be completely different.

Boruto couldn't wait to find out.

He left the office at six, went home for dinner and a shower, dressing more casually in jeans and a pink button-down shirt. He was excited to go out for drinks, unable to remember the last time he did so. For a while, he debated on asking some friends to go out with him but in the end, he just decided to go alone.

Half an hour after seven, Boruto walked into Ninpub with a smile on his face. The place wasn't huge, but it was modern and stylish. He'd never been before, but he was happy to check it out. Of course, he was more excited about seeing the newly promoted beauty.

She wasn't there.

Not yet.

Unfortunate as it was, it also left room for opportunity. Boruto didn't let the chance to bump into them pass him by. Chocho seemed easiest, so he approached her with a warm and genuine smile.

"Miss Akimichi." He waved. "What a coincidence."

Chocho was holding on to two cocktails, which nearly spilled when she stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh my god," she muttered under her breath, but quickly smiled and gave a high pitched, "Hiiii! I didn't know you… would… be here!" She shook her head, probably realized that sounded stupid. "I mean, you're changed and all. Do you live nearby?"

"Not far." He chuckled while mentally fearing he'd come too soon. Damn his impatience. "What are you guys up to tonight?"

She lifted the drinks in her hands. "Getting a few drinks…" She looked at the table where Inojin, Namida, Wasabi and Denki watched the whole exchange with wide, fearful eyes. Shit. How could she not invite him to sit with them? They're all from the same company! "Would you want to join us?"

Please say no. Please say no. Please. Say. No.

"Are you sure? Wouldn't be weird since I'm your boss?" Boruto didn't want to impose, but he planned to anyway.

"Nooo," her voice was far too high and squeaky for her liking. "Not at all." She led the way to the table, and handed Namida her drink. She took a seat next to Inojin, who was glaring at her. All she could do was grin and ask her colleagues, "So, does anyone here not know Boruto? He's the new Marketing Director."

Thank god for Denki, being the kind soul he was, extended his hand for a shake. "Denki. I'm in IT. Nice to meet you, can I get you a drink? I was just about to go to the bar."

"That's nice of you, please." Boruto nodded with a smile. He hadn't stopped smiling, but he wanted to know where Sarada was. "Have you all been here long?"

Wasabi spoke up, after introducing herself. "Namida and I just got here. Denki, too. She put her drink down and grinned, "Where did you work before here, Boruto? I don't think I've read the memo about you arriving yet. Might have missed it."

"I'm straight out of university, actually." He told her honestly.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh wow, you don't say! Amazing. You took up marketing, then? Where did you go?"

"Amongst some other things, yes." Boruto nodded. "I went to Konoha U."

Inojin coughed. "No way!" He really didn't bother hiding how he felt. "Oh my god. Shikadai graduated from there. You know him? He works over at Supply Chain."

"Oh, is that why you were having lunch together earlier?" Namida asked.

"Had lunch together?" Chocho looked at Namida, eyes narrowing.

Denki came back and handed Boruto a beer, before sitting back down. "What did I miss?" He asked.

Before Boruto could even say a word, quick footsteps came behind him and announced, "Oh my god, guys! Look who's here!" Sarada was holding on to another man's arm, clearly excited about his presence. "Back from the field!"

Boruto's light mood evaporated and he was sure his nose scrunched at the unwanted sight. Who the fuck is this guy? This was outrageous. She wasn't supposed to have a boyfriend. If she did, she needed to pretend otherwise. He was definitely a pretty boy, it made Boruto nauseous just looking at him.

"Kaguraaaa!" Namida squealed and walked over to give him a hug. It wasn't soon until everyone was gravitating towards the guy like he was some hero or something.

Sarada was still wearing the same skirt, but she had a different top on. It was tiny, and whenever she raised her arms, it showed some of her flat belly. She hadn't noticed he was there yet, still excited and explaining that Kagura was back from his field assignment and would be working in the office more often now.

She stopped when her gaze landed on Boruto, eyes meeting. He would not allow her to believe he cared about her showing off her stupid boyfriend. Not on his life. So, he smiled brightly at her and ignored her guest completely.

"Hey, Sarada."

Her mouth opened and closed. She looked at Chocho and Inojin for a split second before she went back to look at Boruto. "Hey, what're you doing here? I mean…" she swallowed. "I didn't know you were going to be here!"

"Hey, Boruto!" Shikadai patted his shoulder and dragged the guest over to meet him. "This is Kagura. He's in Sales. Kagura, this is the new Marketing Director I told you about."

"Oh yeah, nice to meet you!" Kagura extended his hand for a shake.

"Kagura," The name, Boruto recognized. He'd learned a lot about his father's employees, but he didn't want to know this guy. Still, nobody else would know that. Not with the way Boruto greeted him so warmly, shaking his hand enthusiastically. "I've heard a lot about you. You do remarkable work. Thank you."

Kagura blushed lightly at the compliment, and his smile grew wider. "You're too kind. Just doing my job, is all. So happy to be back in the office, too. I missed working with everyone here."

"Oh, I can only imagine. It will be a nice change for you for a while." He had a sip of his beer and kept his eyes on his enemy. The guy was so… princely. It was sickening. "It's great to meet such wonderful, hard-working people."

"Likewise," Kagura agreed and then looked around. "But hey, are we going to stand around here or take some shots for Sarada's promotion?"

Wasabi, Namida, Denki, and Shikadai cheered. The latter went over to the bar, and the rest followed. Sarada was talking to Inojin and Chocho, their voices far too soft for anyone to hear.

"Sarada, you coming?" Kagura called her.

"Coming!" She grinned, and then looked back at Inojin and Chocho, who smiled apologetically at her.

Everyone took a shot glass and raised it towards Sarada. Chocho said, "Cheers to her promotion and success!"

"Cheers!" Everyone said before downing the golden liquid, everyone reaching for their own chasers afterward.

"Hey, Sarada," Shikadai smirked and pointed his thumb at Boruto, "Bet you ten that he can beat you with five shots, straight."

What the— No way Boruto would ever stoop so low. "Without a doubt."

Kagura grinned, "Raise it to a twenty! My money's on Sarada."

Boruto almost scowled. Nobody asked pretty boy for his two cents, but he didn't care. Boruto would not lose to her. "Your loss." He huffed, ready to go.

The bartender placed down ten shots and some lemon slices and salt for them. Sarada placed some salt on the back of her left hand before taking her place behind the shots.

"No hard feelings, boss," she teased. "No coming in late tomorrow, too."

"Practice what you preach, baby," Boruto smirked, eager to put her in her place.

Her cheeks flushed by the tiniest bit before holding on to the first glass.

"Ready!" The bartender smiled. "Set… go!"

They both knocked back the shots seamlessly but Boruto was intent not to lose. Even if he knew he would regret this—and he knew—he had to win. He downed each one as quickly as he possibly could, feeling a burn build in his chest that clenched and worried him. He couldn't let anything come back up, that would be worse than losing. It was strong, but luckily for him, he was faster, even if only just enough.

When he slammed his last glass down, Boruto grabbed a lemon slice and sucked it harshly, praying to rid the bitter, burning taste from his tongue. He glanced at his competition now that it was over, and just in time to see her lowering her final shot glass. Then she raised that hand to her lips, peeked out a tongue Boruto would like to taste and feel, and licked the salt from her hand.

Shit. He felt that.

Pulling the lemon from his mouth, Boruto licked his lips reflexively while staring slightly in awe at her. "So close." He murmured, a smirk tugging at his lips. "But not close enough."

Sarada couldn't believe it. He finished before she did. Clearing her throat, she looked away and congratulated him. "Nice one. I guess Shikadai makes money tonight."

Everyone behind them was cheering, and Kagura handed a twenty over to Shikadai, who took it with a smirk on his face. "Thanks, dude," He smiled at Boruto. "Your lunch is on me tomorrow. If you make it to work tomorrow, that is."

"Oh, I'll be there. Before anybody else. Watch." Oh goodness, that was way too much too fast. Boruto could already feel the intoxication and it felt as if it was intensifying by the second. "You better not forget either. I already know what I want to eat."

In just a few moments, Boruto and Sarada both were really feeling the effects of all those shots and they'd been ushered onto a couch. They were close, though Boruto would have liked to be closer. She smelled as good as she looked and that was really saying something. Boruto liked her a lot. He just found her appealing.

"I kicked your ass." He grumbled, eyes closing as he sat with a spinning sensation happening all over his body. He liked it.

Sarada sat down and removed her glasses, massaging her forehead, pretending she didn't hear a thing. Her own world was spinning and she didn't want to hear him gloat on. "Okay, you did." She relented. "Congratulations."

Boruto laughed and opened his eyes to look at her, she was definitely feeling as drunk as he was. He still hadn't learned anything different about her—besides the fact that she could drink.

"Yeah, congratulations. On your promotion that is." It wasn't easy to gather his words and he was vaguely aware that his speech had slowed considerably, but he went on. "You're good. You deserved it. Just be happy." The spinning was worse now and Boruto closed his eyes again, needing to collect himself. He wasn't a drinker, he should have known better.

"I'm trying," she muttered, and then leaned towards his direction on the couch.

Boruto unconsciously moved towards her as well. "I think you're drunk, Sarada." He grinned, knowing it was really himself who was drunk.

"I'm not drunk," she grunted. "You're drunk."

"Ha!" Boruto snorted his whole body jerking and causing him to lean even further towards the girl. Until they were touching. He didn't want to move.

Sarada shook her head, making her lean on him more. "I'm not… drunk. Who's drunk? You're... drunk." Her cheek on his shoulder felt so good. "I'm… not… drunk…" she kept muttering, her eyes were closed and it looked like she was about to fall asleep.

Boruto didn't want her to move. She was painfully adorable and soft and he wanted to keep her. But, they were in a bar and what would happen if she actually fell asleep?

Maybe he would get to carry her.

No no.

"Sarada. If you're late in the morning, I'll never let you hear the end of it." He would just get her fired up and then she's sober up a little.

"I won't be laaaate!" She whined and attempted to get up. "I'm fiiiine!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Boruto chided her while wrapping an arm around her slim waist to keep her pinned next to him. "Stay here."

"Nooo," she whined some more but didn't make a move to leave. Instead, she nuzzled up her cheek on his shoulder and made herself comfortable. "I can walk. I'm… fine." Her breath was slowing down again. Sarada being drunk didn't seem like the sleeping type, but apparently, she was.

Boruto smiled drunkenly at her cute face, knowing she was drifting off. Maybe she just needed a short nap and that was fine. As long as she stayed here where she was. This was crazy, how someone could so easily pull him in. While he hated it, because he did, Boruto also found that he almost craved it at the same time. Nobody else was like this. He just couldn't exactly let her know that he wanted her as much as he did.


	3. Hangovers and Sunflowers

Sarada woke up with a massive headache. Blinking her eyes open, she struggled to get up and realized she was back in her room. How… did she get back in her room? Trying to recall was making her headache worse, so she stopped that immediately. A quick look at her clock told her it was time to get up and get ready for work.

Work. Fuck. Did she really have to?

She groaned but pushed herself to get in the shower, and tried her best to get her back in shape. Despite it only being Wednesday, Sarada decided to dress down a bit, but still looking professional. She opted for black pants and a white button-down shirt, and low heels today. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and applied little makeup. Maybe today, she'll go get coffee first before even entering the office.

As she entered Ninbucks, the baristas greeted her cheerfully and did her best to smile. She ordered a bigger cup this time and an extra shot of espresso.

"Ooh," The barista commented. "Long day?"

Sarada chuckled. "You have no idea. I don't even remember what happened last night."

The barista laughed. "Then that means it was great."

"Surely," Sarada smirked. She would have to ask Inojin what happened. If he was already there. It was only 9:23 am. Still early.

Sarada collected her coffee and made her way into their office and to her desk. The two weren't there yet. The previous night must have been wilder than she expected. But what caught her attention was that she already had an email sent that morning from Boruto, and the lights in his office were already on.

Did he… get there before she did? What the hell.

Taking a seat and looking at the papers on her desk, Sarada tried to ignore the emails Boruto sent in, but another came in, this time, on their office chat platform.

Shikadai: You in the office already?

Sarada lifted her brow and replied.

Sarada: Yes, I am. Why?

Shikadai: Damn, you clean up fast. You were dead before nine, you know? Lol.

Sarada: I know I got drunk, okay? Ugh. Who brought me home?

Shikadai: Boruto carried you to Chocho's car. You guys left around ten. Too early. You can't drink as much as you used to!

Sarada growled. She was out cold, and her boss had to carry her? This was insane.

Sarada: No, he didn't. I wasn't that drunk. I could walk just fine.

Shikadai then sent her a photo, it was blurry but clear enough for Sarada to see that Boruto was carrying her in the parking lot, following Chocho.

Shikadai: Inojin rode with you two. He can tell you what happened.

Sarada's cheeks burned. Oh my fucking god. This was not happening. This. Was. Not. Happening.

Reaching for her coffee, Sarada downed half of its contents in one go and reread the messages. Nope. they were still holding the same contents.

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. How embarrassing! She had to apologize. This was his first week of work and he had already seen her drunk and had to carry her!

Quickly, she opened the email from Boruto. It was nothing urgent, he was just asking for a follow up on the numbers he requested the day before, with some extra instructions added. She found it weird, she never had to make a report like that before. But still… Quickly, she sent an email to Wasabi to ask for the details and then closed her laptop.

Did she have to go to his office now? She was still so embarrassed. Well… better now when the two weren't there yet, right?

Sarada stood and then walked towards his office. She noticed someone had just scampered out of it, looking a little distressed and… scared. That was… odd. Anyway, she still knocked on his door.

"What is it?" He asked.

Sarada wanted to jump away from the door, but opened it anyway, taking a peek inside. "Good morning… it's me."

Boruto was sitting at his desk, glaring at his computer with half-lidded eyes and pouty lips. After a few seconds, he looked over at her and grunted, "Mornin'."

For a moment, his grouchy greeting made her want to sass him, but seeing that he had dark circles under his eyes, she bit her lip and stopped herself. She came here to apologize, not ruin his day.

"I just wanted to… thank you for last night. And also apologize." Her eyes looked everywhere except for his face. She noticed he had put up some new things in his office. A new map was placed on the wall behind him, a pencil holder with a peculiar, sunflower pen, and a few picture frames. One caught her eye in particular.

It was a photo of him in his graduation toga, with his arms wrapped around a girl with long black hair and blue eyes.

Did he have a girlfriend? Sarada looked at the sunflower pen, and found it was the only thing "girly" enough in his office. It was from her. It had to be.

Her hands clenched by her sides and her eyebrows twitched. Well. Isn't that typical? He's already taken. How this guy was taken, she wouldn't know. Sure, he was handsome and had a really really cute smile but come on. This was his first job! What, was that girl still studying or something?

Oh my god.

What if he's into younger girls?

Sarada quickly took a look at the frame again, the girl was more than a foot shorter than him, and not wearing a toga, too.

Fuck. Confirmed it. She was younger. Definitely younger. Oh my god.

That's just… disgusting. Liking younger girls! Sarada gritted her teeth. But she looked to only be a few years younger… definitely in the legal range.

Why was she even getting so worked up about this? It's not like she cared who he dated, right? Sarada huffed and crossed her arms across her chest before looking at him, her eyes were hard, and she had forgotten why she was even here in the first place.

"Can I go now?" She huffed again.

"Jeez, what's with the sudden attitude?" Boruto grumbled, lips poking out in a more profound pout. "I thought you were sorry and thanking me and all that?"

Sarada looked at him and felt her jaw slack by the tiniest bit. The way he was pouting made him look like such a baby. He looked so… cute. Sarada felt her cheeks fill with heat and recalled what exactly her business was doing here.

"Umm yeah, I wanted to apologize for last night. I… didn't know what was going on anymore. I totally blacked out." Shit. Why did he have to keep looking at her like that? He was too cute, and she forgot why she was fuming in the first place.

"Don't worry about it. It happens." His voice was lower than usual and he was speaking so quietly as if raising his voice would be too much for him to handle. "Did you get that report for me?"

Sarada replied, "Yes. I requested the numbers but haven't gotten them yet. Is it okay to submit it after lunch?"

"Yeah," Boruto muttered and then sighed loudly in comparison to every word he spoke. "Whenever. I don't care."

Her lips pursed and she studied his face. He looked tired and drained. Did he not sleep right last night? After all of those shots, she would have thought he would sleep like a baby. Unless… "Are you… hungover?"

"I'm sorry?" Boruto looked at her, brows raised and eyes narrowed.

Whoops. Looks like she poked a nerve. "Sorry, you're just not as… happy as usual. If you've got a headache, I've got some aspirin in my bag."

"I don't know what you mean. I'm happy." He scowled.

That scowl seriously convinced her otherwise, though. "Of course," she giggled. "My bad. I'll go get your report ready."

"Wait." Boruto groaned. "The aspirin?"

Sarada looked over her shoulder with a warm smile on her face. "I'll bring it right over."

With that, she left his office and walked back to her desk, rummaging through her bag and pulled out two pieces of aspirin. She then went to the pantry to get a glass and filled it with water, too. Right before she brought it over, she went back to her desk to get a post-it and scribbled a note on it. She stuck it on the glass and then went to his office. Sarada placed the pills and glass down without a word and left, not wanting to be around when he read the note.

"Have some ramen for lunch, it helps. :)"

.

.

.

As soon as Sarada got to the desk, she plugged on her earphones and got to work. There were a number of promotions that were left hanging and she needed to wrap them up to get Boruto's approval for the budget before sending it over to finance. After sending a few emails to settle things, she printed out the papers for his signature and then left them on a pile by her left.

Inojin was out on field duty today, doing a product shoot for their new ramen line, and Chocho was out meeting suppliers and agencies. She was getting texts from them, asking for quick decisions and approvals for the content they were going to sign off on. This, on top of finishing the report Boruto wanted. Even if the latter wasn't urgent—or so he claimed—she wanted to have it done first, so she could have fewer worries as she scrolled through the proposals that Chocho and Inojin quickly sent over.

To say it was overwhelming was an understatement. She didn't even realize she skipped lunch, as she went through the report and told Inojin to wait and talk to her the following day before approving another product shoot and the concept he wanted to go with. Chocho was fighting him for another idea, and Sarada really didn't want to play referee right now. It was so much easier when they all reported to the director, as he had to make all the important decisions and defend it to the board if they ever made a mistake.

But now… it was all on Sarada.

The promotions with a bigger reach, of course, needed the director's approval. As well as designs for billboards and commercial times and prices. But social media content, as well as their online campaigns? Trivial things that the director shouldn't be worrying about. Product shoots and point of sales designs? Nu uh. It was now on Sarada's turf and being the perfectionist she was, didn't make things easier for her to decide.

At one point, she told the two to prepare some slides to justify their own ideas and present them to her after lunch the next day. The two complained, naturally. When did they ever need to convince Sarada? Well, now they did. She was their boss and responsible for them and the brand.

She only tore her gaze away from her screen when Namida came by her desk. "Hey, Sarada," She grinned. "Here are the numbers you wanted. Oh, and I added your Job Orders there. Apparently, they need approval from the director to proceed."

"What?" Sarada asked, completely at a shock. "The previous one didn't need to!"

"Yeah but…" Namida shifted her gaze away. "We found that some numbers didn't add up last time. And well… we just want to make sure this time around instead of digging up for things." She looked back at her with an apologetic smile. "Sorry…"

She sighed and removed her glasses. "No, no. Don't be sorry. It's okay. I'll have them approved. Just… give me a sec."

Namida held up her hands. "It's okay, you can give them to me at four. I won't be leaving until later. I'll have them processed ASAP so you can get your money."

Sarada smiled tiredly at her. "Thank you."

"Don't sweat it!" Namida grinned before leaving her desk.

These reimbursements were meals with suppliers, as well as some trivial approvals like gas and Uber rides. They all happened more than a month ago and she was irritated that they had only brought it up now. Well… there was no point in waiting.

She looked at the clock and realized it was already well passed two, and she hadn't even eaten yet. "Shit." Debating whether she should eat first or go to Boruto's office to have a million things signed took her a good minute. But gave up and decided to have it approved and over with. Her report wasn't even ready yet…

Oh well. He said it wasn't urgent.

She gathered up all the papers and walked to Boruto's office, knocking before opening the door to take a peek inside. "Sir?"

Boruto looked from his computer to her, looking a little more alert than he did earlier. "Come in."

She walked in and held a pile of papers in her hands. "I need these for your approval."

"Alright." He grumbled before muttering a string of unintelligible curses.

She pretended not to hear them and handed the papers over, waiting for him to look through them for a while before asking, "would you want me to come back? One is for the billboard, the other for a commercial and the next two are campaigns for the new line."

"Yeah, just give me an hour," Boruto told her as he studied the papers on his desk.

"Okay…" Sarada left his office and plopped back on her desk. She looked at her inbox, and there were more emails. A quick alt-tab and her report was only halfway done.

"Later…" she muttered to herself and went through her purse to get her phone and wallet, making a quick run to Ninbucks for a sandwich. Perhaps some iced coffee, too. She deserved it. The day was going by way too fast, and she needed to get more work done.

After ordering, she took a seat and scrolled through her phone. Replying to her father, asking how her day was going and if she was still going to stay at their house for the weekend. Sarada replied quickly and asked him to ask her mom which cake she wanted for her to bring. As she got her order from the counter, she sat back down and found he already replied.

"The chocolate one with strawberries," Sasuke replied.

Sarada giggled. "Which one? The one with white cream or black?"

She watched the three dots jump around a few times before getting a response.

"The one you always get…"

"I get mama both."

"Just one." He replied instantly.

"Then white or black?"

"I don't know."

Sarada laughed and replied that she would ask her mother instead. Sasuke thanked her and she finished up her sandwich. Checking her watch, she had only been gone for fifteen minutes. Not bad. Sarada picked up her things and sipped on her coffee, feeling so much better that she finally had something in her tummy, and the coffee was an added, yet welcome, bonus.

Their area was still empty, Chocho and Inojin probably didn't want to go back to the office anymore. It was getting pretty late, anyway. She shrugged it off and got back to her computer, ready to face her emails again.

After a few emails sent, she went back to the report, and started fixing the numbers up, formatting and color-coding the cells and tabs, making it all the more readable. Sarada prided herself with organized and functional files, and the finance team often asked her why she didn't opt to become an accountant instead.

Numbers were good, but she loved being in marketing more. Besides, she still got to crunch some numbers, but also got to write and be around some art-related things. It was cool. And she did it well.

Finally finishing the report, she typed up a quick email to Boruto, explaining how the file worked, what the colors meant, and which tab he can find the information he needed on.

Hi Boruto,

Attached is the monthly sales report. If you have any questions, I'm at your disposal.

Warm regards,

Sarada

Finally. She could breathe again. The big tasks she set for her day were done, and it was only three-thirty. Maybe she could go home early today, get some groceries done and curl up to watch Ninflix.

Maybe.

The idea of resting got her excited but remembered she had to text her mother about which cake she wanted her to bring for the weekend. As she was engrossed in her texting she didn't realize someone was standing in front of her desk.

"Taking it easy?" Boruto asked and then dropped the stack of papers on her desk.

Sarada gasped, nearly jumping out of her skin and dropped her phone on her desk as the papers landed. She looked up, ready to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. Her brows furrowed more to see her boss grinning from ear to ear.

"Hardly," she replied, barely containing the anger in her voice. She took a quick look at the papers, all signed with some post-its on it for extra instructions. "Did you see my report, too?"

"I was just finishing up when you sent it, I'm heading back to read it over now." He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "While you get back to your texting." Boruto snorted and looked annoyingly smug as he walked off, going back to his office.

Sarada glared after him and stuck out her tongue when he wasn't looking. "I will go back to texting," she muttered under her breath. "One that you disturbed!" She gritted her teeth and typed quickly, finished her text to her mother followed by, "MAMA I HATE HIIIIM" with angry and crying emojis after.

She put her phone down and took some deep breaths to calm down, and it wasn't long until she received another text from her papa.

"Tell me to come and I will."

Sarada giggled. Her mama was quick to forward that message. She replied she was fine and she'll tell them all about it on Saturday instead.

She tossed her phone back in her bag and went back to her emails, cleaning them out and making sure to flag those that needed a reply the following day. Opening her drawer, she pulled out more post-it's and started writing tasks on different colored ones and stuck them on her table, arranging them according to urgency.

It was already five-thirty, and still no email from Boruto about her report. Just a little more and she could call it a day, hoping that he wouldn't bother sending her another task or a follow up for anything else.

After she arranged her desk and cleaned up, right before she could turn her laptop off, she got an email from Boruto. Sarada groaned and read it.

Hi Sarada,

Thanks for sending the report. The numbers are looking good, keep this up and we will hit the target in no time.

Make sure to add the projection for the campaigns next month and then align with Supply for the added stock for the next three months to support the demand.

Nice format. I like the colors. :)

Cheers,

Boruto.

Sarada smiled at seeing he added an emoji but rolled her eyes at his signature. Who uses "cheers"?

Chaotic people. That's who.

Oh well. He seemed like the type anyway.

Sarada flagged his email and then scribbled on another post-it to write Shikadai an email, and set a meeting with him to finalize the following day.

With that, she turned her laptop off and gathered her belongings. Time to call it a day.

Sarada exited the office and headed towards the elevator, a little shocked to see that Boruto was already there, waiting, and playing with his car keys. He noticed her approach and turned to look at her, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"Finally finished?"

Sarada smiled back and nodded. "Yup. Finally!"

"Heading straight home?" He asked casually and then the elevator arrived and the doors slid open. "After you."

Impressed with his gentlemanly tone and gesture, she entered the elevator and waited for him to enter before pushing the button for the ground floor, and Boruto pushed the button for the sixth.

"I have some grocery shopping to do, and then yes, go home." Noticing the floor he pushed, she asked, "You drive to work?"

"I do. What about you?" He asked, blue eyes peeking at her.

Sarada couldn't help but look at his eyes. Even in the dim elevator light, they looked so bright. "I take the train," she replied before looking away, turning her attention to the screen, indicating what floor they were on. Anything to keep her from looking at his eyes. They were so… alluring.

"The train? That must suck." His nose scrunched as if he couldn't fathom the idea. "I could give you a ride if you want."

Her dark eyes widened. Getting a ride home would be nice, but no. She didn't want to intrude. "Oh no, it's okay," Sarada held her hands up. "I have to stop by the grocery, and besides, I don't want to trouble you."

Boruto chuckled softly and played with his keys again. "It's no trouble, really. I don't mind."

She bit her lower lip. It was tempting. The train would be cramped around this time, and she didn't really need to do the groceries… "no, really. It's okay. You look like you need to rest a little more today, boss." She grinned cheekily at him, hoping he wouldn't mind being teased. At least, today, she learned he was a grumpy little baby when he was hungover.

"Fine. Your loss." He shrugged, smirking. "Do you live nearby?"

"Yeah, I live by Eleventh Avenue, near the convenience store. You?"

"Oh, really? I live on Fifth. Not too far." Knowing this only seemed to make him smugger.

Sarada rolled her eyes and the elevator dinged, opening up to the parking lot. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then." Boruto nodded, still smiling as he walked out.

Sarada waved at him with a small smile on her face as the elevator doors closed. The elevator felt a little lonelier now that he was gone, but Sarada brushed it off and got out as soon as she reached the ground floor.

The walk to the station was nice. The air was cool and the crowd wasn't as bad yet. A quick stop at the grocery made her mood lift, choosing some fresh vegetables and crackers, along with a cheap bottle of wine and chips. Tonight, she would have a salad for dinner, but reward herself with wine and chips as she watched a few episodes on Ninflix before bed.

The night was looking good.


	4. Made Up and Make Up

wo weeks after starting his new job as Marketing Director, Boruto was up to his neck in paperwork. His father was a great man, he was kind and thoughtful when it came to his family, his friends and his employees too. Everybody loved him because he was so easy to love.

But he was an idiot.

His desperation to have the position filled made a lot more sense once Boruto had enough time to get in and look into everything. It took time and patience, two things Boruto didn't have much of with everything else to worry about.

Regardless of how annoyed he was, Boruto kept his complaints to himself and did the work, catching up on all the paperwork. Contracts needed renewing and there were several meetings with clients both old and new to handle. Planning around Naruto's schedule and everyone else's was even more of a hassle, but Boruto accepted it.

Everything was fine and well until Naruto denied his son's most recent proposal. That was when Boruto had it and his complaints were about to fly freely.

While dealing with everything else, Boruto was determined to bring his own suggestions for new products. After all, he had a knack for these things and his father knew that. Never in a million years did Boruto think he'd be shot down and the email he received from Naruto was absolutely horrendous.

Boruto,

Yuck. I will never approve of something so atrocious. Burger flavored ramen? Not a chance.

Get over it,

Dad

"This bastard!" Boruto groaned, half wanting to punch his computer monitor or at least sling it across the room.

Not bothering with a reply, Boruto instead got to his feet and left his office. He'd confront his father directly over this. For the entire week, Boruto had been thinking about this project and working on it along with everything else. He had Inojin make a mock-design, Chocho make a social media plan and Sarada make a promotional campaign plan. He even managed to get Kagura to commit a few accounts without having the full details on the product. Shikadai even made a projection for him, moved around their stocks so there was room for this new flavor to get on the market.

It was a lot of shit.

And Boruto wanted burger flavored ramen.

When he made it to his father's office, he didn't knock. He slammed the door open and glared at the man who was on the phone, kicked back in his seat with his feet on his desk. Naruto scrambled around to straighten himself at the intrusion, nearly dropping his phone in the process.

"Uh, Sorry Gaara, we will talk numbers later. Something came up. Call you later?" Naruto rambled once he pulled his phone back to his ear.

"Alright, dear," Hinata replied and Naruto's face paled.

He apparently hadn't realized he'd accidentally put the phone on speaker when he was fumbling with it. Boruto just rolled his eyes as Naruto hung up the phone and set it on his desk.

"What the hell, Dad? We're having burger flavored ramen added or else." Boruto would win this battle.

Naruto's brows furrowed. "Watch your tone, Boruto. You may be my son, but you still report to me here."

"Right because your email really set a professional standard." Boruto scoffed. "Do you have any idea how hard I worked on this project and need I remind you who came to whom begging for help."

Naruto stood from his table, rising a few inches over his son. "I asked HR to hold the position for you. Just because you have it now, doesn't mean you will get what you want." Daddy Naruto was gone, and in came the president of Ichiraku Ramen Corp. "We just released a new line. That's five products. You do realize that releasing another one within the year will cannibalize them, right?"

"So you would be willing to lose this potential? I just laid down a gold mine in front of you… and this isn't the first time so you already know. There's a reason you wanted me here."

Naruto's gaze softened and he sighed. His son always came up with creative and innovative ideas. Although a burger flavored ramen does sound atrocious, it could have some novelty potential, as long as it was priced and marketed right. He took a few moments, doing the math and thinking of a way to save the new line but get Boruto out of his office with no more whining.

"Six months. Rotational, on K-mart shelves only." Naruto raised a finger when Boruto looked ready to retort. "And price it at novelty. I need to gain back my capital for creating a new flavor on short notice."

"That's ridiculous. But I'll accept it, only because I have other projects that will be on your desk shortly. If anybody needs to get over it, it's you." He couldn't wait to see Naruto's reaction to his other ideas.

He would hate them all.

Barely a moment after he returned to his own office, his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket with a curse, but his face and mood softened once he saw it was his sister. He hadn't been keeping in touch as he should. He hadn't even gone to visit in a week.

"Hima?" He asked after clearing his throat and making sure his tone held none of his earlier annoyance.

"I cooked you dinner last night."

Shit.

"I made your favorite strawberry cake too."

Double shit.

"I called you… and when you never answered or showed up, I went by your place with your dinner and the whole cake. But you didn't answer the door."

It was all over for him.

"Now, just wait a minute, Hima. Work has been a little hectic and what time did you come by?" He had to have already been asleep, otherwise, he would have heard her knocking.

"You haven't called me in days…"

This wasn't good at all.

"I'm sorry. Don't be upset, please." Boruto frowned just as someone knocked on his office door and he sighed. "Come in," he knew it wasn't Sarada whenever she didn't just peek in immediately. As the door opened, Himawari groaned in frustration, she was mad at him. "I'll make it up to you, okay? Let me take you to dinner, I'll buy you something sweet and we can do anything you want after."

"Flowers?"

"Flowers. Got it." Boruto said as he glanced over at Chocho who was stepping in quietly.

Himawari giggled. "Okay, bro. Pick me up at six. You better not be late. I love you!"

It wouldn't be easy getting out of work in time to make it happen, but he would no matter what. "I love you too." He said and then ended the call to give his attention to Chocho. "What's up?"

She stood there, mouth hanging open and trying to form a cohesive sentence. But didn't get to spit it out without making some weird noises first. "I just… umm… the meeting got moved to three? And it'll be in the Noodle Room. Sarada told me to tell you."

"Right, thank you." Boruto smiled at her. "Tell her I'll be there and please have her reschedule my five o'clock to tomorrow sometime."

Chocho blinked. "Your five o'clock? Isn't that with the agency?"

"It is. She'll make it happen. I have to get out of here early today." There was no getting around it and he couldn't get out of the meeting so rescheduling was the only way.

"Okay…" was all she could say before going out of his office and practically running down the hall, back to the marketing department's area. This was big news. Wait 'til the gang hears their boss was cancelling an outside meeting for a date.

Once Boruto entered the meeting room, his team was already sitting down, whispering to each other about something he couldn't hear. Sarada was sitting at his left, not saying a word or looking at his direction. She was typing furiously, writing an email and setting a new meeting invitation.

"Sorry I'm late," Shikadai came in, holding on to his laptop. "Just had to check something before heading here." He took a seat next to Boruto and hooked up his screen to the projector, showing an excel file with numbers and rows. The columns were full of the products, numbers showing off their demand per month.

"For the cells in yellow, these are the new products. The blue ones are for the burger ramen." He looked around before proceeding. "I moved the yellow cells down to the end of the year, spreading some of the demand a little thinner for K-Mart to make some room. This is my first suggestion. But what I really recommend is we limit to three or four products for K-Mart and then slide in the burger to take two shelf spaces instead."

Chocho and Inojin exchanged looks before looking at Sarada. She did not look happy.

"I know, I know," Shikadai held his hands up. "It'll hurt the line, but look, "he opened the other tab and showed more demand for other channels. "I got Kagura to get the supermarkets to take more. That way, we don't hurt the target, and get to let the Burger shine on the convenience store shelf a little more."

Boruto grinned. It was a sound argument. Didn't expect anything less from Shikadai. "I like it." But before sealing the deal, he looked at Sarada. "Thoughts?"

The look she gave him was cold. Oh, she was angry. About what, he didn't really know. "We would have to redo the whole campaign for K-Mart," Sarada started. "The commitment I have for the Point of Sales would have to be terminated and reworked. Did Kagura say he could have the account accept it?"

Boruto pouted. What did the sales guy have to do with it?

Shikadai rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, he's working on it. Hard to deny when Naruto himself asked the account…"

Sarada's lips turned into a fine line and she looked at Chocho and Inojin. Both of them looking fearful of their incoming workload. "Well, if Mr. Uzumaki insists, we can only make sure it's launched well."

Things were going as smoothly as they could, but Sarada was definitely upset with him about something. Boruto didn't have time to question her about it, having less than an hour to complete his work for the day after the meeting ended. He was rushing and stressed, but as long as it was for Himawari's sake, it was fine.

It was still after five before he hurried out of his office, already calling her on his way towards the elevator. She sent him to voicemail, probably thinking he was going to cancel on her which made him feel even worse.

"Hima don't be like this. I'm leaving work now, I'll be to you before six. Be ready for me okay?" He ended the call and finally reached the elevator, quickly pressing the button to call it. He had no idea where he would get flowers from on the way, so he was now trying to search nearby places on his phone.

He heard heels clicking on the floor and immediately looked up, it was Sarada, on the way to the ladies' room. Perfect.

"Hey, Sarada!" Boruto beamed as he jogged over to her. "Do you know of any good flower shops near here?"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, face impassive but still obviously not happy about needing to interact with him. "Flowers? It depends. What's the occasion?"

"Huh what?"

Sarada rolled her eyes and drawled, "Celebratory? Did someone pass? Or, did you screw up and need to apologize?" She waved her hands around. "Like that."

Still a little stressed and worried, Boruto didn't even think about her sassing him. "The latter."

Again with her lips being in a thin, fine line. "Inojin's mother has a flower shop down at Seventh. For whatever the occasion."

"Awesome! That's on my way. Thanks for the help, Sarada. I'm sure I'll find something to make her happy there." He grinned and winked at her before hurrying back to the elevator. He'd missed it, but it was still waiting thankfully and he was able to get on his way.

If he was late, he'd never hear the end of it.

The flower shop was only ten minutes from him. He walked inside with flowers on his brain. So many options, but what would she prefer? Definitely yellow. Sunflowers maybe? His head hurt from overthinking as he opened the door. A bell chimed to announce his entry and he walked in, inhaling the calming aroma of many different flowers.

Boruto walked through, looking at some arrangements that were already made for the day and then at all the different selections they had. These things were difficult for men, especially doting brothers.

A lady with long blond hair and a pretty smile came out from the back and grinned at him. "Hello, dear. What can I get for you?"

"Wow, you must be Inojin's mother. I see who he gets his looks from." Boruto grinned back. "I'm looking for something sweet and yellow. Do you have sunflowers by chance?"

The lady's hand went up to her cheek and giggled at his compliment. "Oh thank you. I'm Ino, by the way. I'm sorry, but we just ran out. I have some daisies and carnations. What would you prefer?"

Thinking quick, he replied, "Daisies."

"Okay," she walked around the counter and fetched some from a base nearby. "Do you have a budget I need to keep in mind?"

Judging by how upset Himawari sounded earlier? "No, go crazy."

Ino's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow, not many young men your age say that around here. Must be a really special one, huh?" Ino picked up more flowers along the way and laid them all on the counter.

"Oh yeah. She is. She gets what she wants, always." Boruto shrugged. He had no plans to change that either. He loved spoiling his sister.

The lady nodded and continued arranging the flowers for him, it wasn't even done yet but it was starting to look like a huge one. "Known her long?"

"Her whole life." Boruto nodded and chuckled softly.

Ino hummed and smiled. "She must adore you, then. Quite young, I assume?" She teased. "You look to be just as old as my son."

"Yeah, she's a few years younger than me." Boruto smiled as he stared at the forming arrangement. He was damn glad she hadn't been his older sister. She wouldn't have been as cute then.

Ino chuckled and placed the ribbon on the wrapping. "Do you need a card, dear?"

"Yes, please." He said and when she pulled one out, Boruto pulled his sunflower pen out of his chest pocket and wrote a simple, I love you, before putting the pen back and handing over the card for her to finish up. "It looks great, she's going to be so happy."

"Any girl would be," Ino smiled sweetly and showed him his bill. Boruto thought he was seeing double but even if he blinked twice, it was still the same amount. It didn't matter, though. He wanted the best flowers for his sister, and these were definitely it. He handed his card over, and Ino processed the payment quickly. When she returned it, she wished him a good night and watched him leave the flower shop with a large bouquet of flowers.

By some miracle, Boruto pulled into his parents driveway with ten minutes to spare. He finally breathed a sigh of relief as he exited his car, flowers in hand. Himawari has never called him back, obviously wanting him to stress over her even more. She really liked giving him a hard time, but he still adored everything about her. The door was unlocked and he let himself in, peering around all the flowers to look for her.

"Hima! I'm home." Boruto called as he walked through the home, going into the kitchen first.

She came in as soon as he set the flowers on the counter. "Ooh, pretty!" She cooed and danced over, bumping him aside so she could get a closer look—and a feel, and a smell. "Wow, Boruto. They're perfect. You came straight from work but at least you look nice. Where are we going for dinner?"

"I'll take you anywhere you want."

"Okay, you're forgiven." She grinned and hugged him tight.

Himawari decided on having burgers at their old favorite spot. It was a good thing that she had adapted to liking almost everything he liked and even if he was willing to spoil her with anything else, she still took him into consideration. She was an angel like that. She deserved the world and Boruto was here to give it to her.

They took their time over dinner, catching up on his life at work, her life at school and their mom. Boruto hadn't been to see her recently either and had only seen his dad at work for work. He knew he had to do better and he was going crazy without his mom's cooking anyway and Himawari's too. She'd learned a lot over the years, things Boruto's mind just couldn't seem to comprehend.

So, he promised to join them over the weekend for dinner to catch up after he'd taken Himawari for ice cream and then to the park just to walk by the water there. It was late, but he was able to see his mom for a moment and his dad, without them talking about anything to do with work. It was nice and even though it was a work night, he didn't mind getting back home late. It had been a good night, Himawari was happy and he had enjoyed himself as well.

Now if only the next day wouldn't be so bad at work, he would be in a good place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like Ao3 doesn't keep my italics. :( I'm sorry about that. I know it lessens the reading experience. I'm just posting this here again after I post it on ffnet. If you want to read the one with italics, please hop on over there! I also write more detailed A/Ns there. ^^; 
> 
> Sorry! I'm still a little new to Ao3, but I did promise myself I would try harder to update here.


	5. Gossips and Date Sabotagers

"And theeeen!" Chocho paused for dramatic effect, "He said, I love you." Her hands came up to her cheeks and she formed a screaming face. "Can you believe that? He told me to move the meeting—that he called for—because of a date?"

Inojin made a face and sucked on his lollipop, removing it before answering. "I can believe it. But seriously? This confirms it. It must have been that girl in the photo on his desk."

"And she looks so young," Chocho whispered furiously. "Probably not even a graduate!"

Inojin put the lollipop back in his mouth and turned to face his laptop. "Can you blame him, though? She's hot."

"Oh shut up," Chocho stuck her tongue out at him and then faced Sarada. "Want me to find her? Bet it won't even take a minute."

Sarada faced her laptop, pretending not to hear them gossiping about their new boss. She was livid. Not that they were gossiping, but that she had to move the meeting for a date.

"I don't care what he does with his time," Sarada sniffed and then adjusted her glasses as she glanced at Chocho. "I'm far more upset that we have to trash half of this campaign and rework it in a week."

Inojin spun around, making a face that made Sarada think his candy had gone sour. Chocho rolled her eyes and groaned. "Don't even get me started on that! But I can take care of moving the meeting if you like."

The gesture was much appreciated, but Sarada declined. "I'll take care of it. Just work with Inojin for the Burger Ramen. Mr. Uzumaki wants it to be like a novelty item. We need to rework the design and make the materials match."

Another loud groan from the team. More work. As usual.

Sarada didn't want to deal with their attitude, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't equally as upset. The new Ramen line took nearly a year to prepare and now she had to move it around and magically make up some budget for an unplanned product.

More budget cuts. Great.

Sarada also started muttering under her breath, but more work wasn't the only thing bothering her.

Boruto was canceling an important meeting. For a date.

"He also mentioned something about flowers and asking her to not be upset. Oh boy, he must have fucked up big time." Chocho opened a bag of chips and moved over to sit next to Inojin, opening up their work files.

The blond snickered. "Guys who screw up gives my mom good business, though. So I don't mind. Hope he goes around to get mom a sale."

The two kept on chatting, still gossiping as Inojin's pen tablet dragged along, making concept art and sketches. Chocho thought of lines to use as he drew them, writing them down as they went.

It was hard to drown them out, being as noisy as they could be. Sarada wanted to finish getting her work done, but the face of the girl kept popping up in her mind, her sunny smile next to Boruto's.

Oh, fuck it. This meeting invitation can wait.

She grabbed her phone and started looking for Boruto online, looking for a link to the girl. There were a lot of photos of her on his social media, but not a single tag. She read the comments and it looked like people were replying to something she couldn't see.

Friends only. Of course, she had to have a private account.

Sarada scowled and scrolled some more. She couldn't find a name, but she confirmed that the girl was definitely younger, and even found some baby photos of them together.

Fucking baby photos! Now they're childhood friends?

Great. Absolutely great. Her lips pursed as she scrolled some more, but with every photo, she found her blood pressure rising and her outlook notified her it was almost three. So, doing the responsible thing, she put her phone away and gathered her belongings, moving to the meeting room.

Even the meeting didn't lighten her mood, despite Shikadai finding a way to save her and their targets. He was a genius, alright. And her boss was a complete idiot.

After moving around schedules, she finally sent the meeting invite for the suppliers and then rose from her seat to go to the ladies' room. Lo and behold, he was there. Looking anxious and tinkering with his phone.

Her anger flared again.

Just ignore him, she told herself. Walk right by.

"Hey, Sarada!" He called her attention.

Fuck. Things can just never go her way, can they?

She tried her best not to sass him but the opportunity was far too great, he made it too easy, even owning up that he screwed up and needed the flowers to get his girlfriend to forgive him. Perhaps she could lead him to the Yamanaka flower shop. They have good flowers, after all.

That sunny and adorable smile he gave her made her heart skip and for a moment, Sarada forgot why she was angry with him. But it all came back as soon as he hurried into the elevator and she remembered he ditched them.

For a date.

Fuck him! She thought angrily as she went to the ladies' room to calm down.

When she got back to her desk, Inojin and Chocho were huddled close, whispering and holding on to their phones.

Great. They were gossiping. Again. They had deadlines and they were still loafing around!

She snapped. "What are you two gossiping about, now?"

The two of them looked at her with wide eyes, but Inojin smirked and showed her his screen. It was blurry, but it was a photo of Boruto's back, holding on to a huge arrangement of flowers, leaving the store.

"Mom texted me he came and confirmed a lot of things." Inojin sniggered. Gosh. Trust auntie Ino to be even better than Inojin when it came to getting information.

"He said he knew this girl since she was born, younger than him, and really spoils her." Inojin went on, a devilish glint in his blue eyes. Sarada couldn't help but lean in, wanting to hear more. Now, it wasn't like Sarada to indulge in office gossip, but she wasn't going to turn down free information. "Guess what he wrote on the card," he asked, slyly.

Chocho was chortling like a wicked witch, rubbing her hands like she was in the middle of scheming a delicious potion. "Tell her, Inojin!"

Sarada leaned back a bit, genuinely afraid of what he might have written. "What?" Her reply came a lot softer than she wanted it to.

"I love you," Inojin emphasized every single word and made googly eyes to tease on.

Sarada felt the heat creep from the back of her neck all the way up her ears. Oh. My. God. She thought he might have written something scandalous but hearing something as pure as an, "I love you" made her feel all sorts of things.

He was soft… who would have known?

Inojin then chatted on about more little details his mother told him and kept spinning the gossip wheel round. Chocho was texting the finance girls, telling them about the piping hot tea.

She sat back down, really absorbing the information. The stories, the photo, the stars were all aligning. This was it, really it.

Boruto has a girlfriend. And he is so evidently head over heels for her.

It all felt so confusing… Why it was confusing, she really couldn't understand. Was it so hard to believe Boruto was taken? He went to a good university, came from a wealthy family, and he was really handsome. It should all make sense… perfect sense. But to Sarada… it didn't.

She just couldn't believe it. Couldn't even come close to accepting it.

There was a little twinge of pain in her heart, making her press her hand to chest lightly. Her heart was beating so fast. She swallowed and took in a ragged breath to calm herself.

She shouldn't care, shouldn't even be thinking too much or entertaining anything about what he does in his free time. But… she was. Why?

Sarada looked at Inojin and Chocho, still gossiping and theorizing about how he met the girl, and what they were like together, and suddenly, she felt sick. "I think I'll call it a day," she announced and then proceeded to pack up her belongings, bringing her laptop home with her.

"So early?" Inojin watched her hastily pack her things, bewildered. "What about the Comm plan? We need you for that."

"Send me an invite for a meeting tomorrow morning. Let's discuss tomorrow. I don't feel so good."

Chocho's brows furrowed in worry. "Want me to drive you home?"

She shook her head and strapped her bag on her shoulder. "No, I'm fine. Thank you. I'll take a look at what you have tomorrow. See you."

"Bye," Inojin raised his hand, and Chocho only stared on, watching her as she left. "What's with her?" He asked.

Chocho ignored him, trying to think of reasons why she would suddenly leave like that when there was more work to be done.

All they were doing was talking about Boruto and his girlfriend. How well he treated her and head over heels for her. Why would Sarada react to that? She gnawed on the idea little more and then… slowly, it came to her. Chocho's eyes widened, her mouth opened and she let out a shrill scream upon realizing it.

Sarada had a crush on Boruto.

And she was jealous.

.

.

.

As the weeks went on, Chocho kept this piece of vital information to herself. She stopped herself so many times from asking Sarada, voicing what she thought to anyone, in fear that she would be spreading potentially career-damaging gossip about her two superiors. And the last thing she wanted was to ruin their reputation, and of course, ruin her own career. HR being up her ass about it was definitely something she did not want to happen.

But the signs… they were all flashing at her like neon signs!

The smallest little blushes on Sarada's face whenever Boruto would grin and compliment her work, the extra post-its she would put on her reports for him with little reminders, and her sassing him toned down a little bit… just a bit. It was weird, but it did make sense. Boruto was hot. He may not have been the most capable marketing director, but he had a lot of good ideas, and often found creative solutions to problems they faced. His approach to marketing was fresh, and he connected and adapted well with their audience. To say he was charismatic was also an understatement. He found ways to get what he wanted, be it through his smarts, looks, or his smile.

Chocho couldn't help it, and she was so close to her breaking point, wanting to ask Sarada, or at least tell somebody about it! She had to get it out of her system.

One lunchtime, Chocho couldn't help herself, she leaned in close to Sarada just when Inojin left and whispered, "Girl, how's your love life going?"

Sarada put her fork down and looked at Chocho with a bewildered look. "Non-existent, I thought I told you that." She kept her voice low, not wanting anyone to hear.

Chocho pursed her lips and looked around, making sure they were alone in the pantry, before continuing, "Really? No one's been asking you out? Like, nothing? Not even a hint?"

She sighed and gave her an exasperated look. "Are you trying to rub my singleness in?" She took a large scoop of food and shoved it in her mouth and spoke, the food making it hard to understand, "That's a low blow."

She buzzed her lips and sighed dramatically. "I didn't mean it like that!" Chocho shifted in her seat to face her, talking normally now, even if there were some people coming in and out to get water from the cooler. "Look, you've been complaining about being single. Why not get out there and ask someone out? You know, like someone you like?"

Sarada paused for a bit but swallowed her food and replied stubbornly, "I'm not interested in anyone right now."

Sure you aren't. Chocho wanted to bite back. But extended her patience. "Seriously? Not even in the office?"

That earned her a glare from Sarada. "You know I don't do office romances."

Her face went smug. "Well, I could think of a few cuties," Chocho then side-eyed Sarada, "Can't you?"

"I swear if this is you starting another round of fuck, marry, kill," Sarada's dark eyes were glowing with a warning.

Inojin came back and took his seat in front of them, holding on to a juice box. "What'd I miss?"

Neither of the girls spoke. Sarada went back to her food and Chocho wanted nothing more than to kill Inojin.

The blond raised a brow and sipped on his juice box. "Quit glaring at me like that, Chubbs."

.

.

.

She went home that way feeling miserable, not knowing if Sarada really did like Boruto or not. Knowing Sarada, she would never admit it. Even if she resigned, she wouldn't admit she had even the slightest crush or interest in him. It was really too bad. For a moment, back when she was new, Chocho thought Sarada had the hots for Kagura, and that princely sales guy seemed to have shared the same sentiments. But Sarada saying she isn't into office romance was definitely a lie. Chocho saw one of the romance novels Sarada brought to the last company outing, and the plot was definitely about an office romance. When she snuck a look at the back, it was—gasp—about a boss and their subordinate. It made her snicker, looks like there was hope, after all.

But there was one little thing… Boruto was taken. And he seemed so smitten over this girl. Chocho had caught him on more than one occasion texting, with a goofy smile on his face, and turning down his dad for dinner, saying he had a date. And they finally knew her name. Hima.

As if that was any good information. They couldn't find anything on the girl. Not even Inojin could. It was frustrating, but she followed every single lead she could about Hima, and it seemed like Inojin was also starting to like the girl, for her looks, at least.

"She's got a cute smile, okay? Look at her." He defended once when Chocho caught him looking for her profiles again. She only rolled her eyes. Inojin was another one who liked to deny his feelings, but he wasn't half as bad as Sarada.

The next day, Chocho wanted to scream when her boss gushed with a big smile on her face, "Looks like I won't be single anymore after all!"

Chocho nearly spat her donut out. Shit. Did Sarada do it? Did she actually ask Boruto out? Holy shit. "Guuuurl," Chocho threw her donut away. "Spill!"

Sarada showed her her screen, with a short conversation, asking her out to dinner that night. Chocho thought she would actually scream, like, with sounds, but when she looked to see the name, she deflated.

Ryogi.

Who was this fool?

"I'm sorry," her irritation showed. "Who is this?" She gave her boss an attitude-laden face. "I have never heard of him, who is he? Show me his photo. What does he do for a living?"

Sarada jerked back from the sudden negativity and put her phone away, but still replied kindly, "His name's Ryogi. We went to university together. He took up engineering, though."

"Excuse me?" This was making her head hurt. An engineer? With Sarada? Was this for real? "Engineer? Wha- when was the last time you spoke?"

"... last… night?" The sudden attitude really threw Sarada off, thinking Chocho would be excited for her that someone had asked her out.

"Like, an everyday thing?" She went on, asking question after question. "Like, you two talk? Everyday? Why haven't you ever mentioned him to me? Like, ever?" Really. She felt so betrayed.

Sarada's brows furrowed. "No, just last night. We caught up because he messaged me when I posted the photo with my uncle. You know, Uncle Itachi took up Engineering too."

"So he's older than you?" Chocho was practically screaming.

"What's going on here?"

The two ladies stopped talking and faced forward. The President was standing in front of them, a smile on his face, holding on to a piece of paper. "So much energy in the morning, I like it." He grinned, showing them a perfect set of teeth.

Sarada greeted him a good morning, pretending to look calm and collected. But Chocho had other plans.

"Mr. Uzumaki, please tell my boss here she shouldn't be going out on dates with strangers!" She gestured wildly towards Sarada, who was turning as red as a tomato.

Oh. Chocho was dead. But she didn't care. If Sarada wasn't going to listen to her, Sarada would definitely listen to their boss.

Naruto looked at Sarada and asked, "Oh really? Like, a total stranger?"

"No, no!" Sarada was frantic. Oh my god. She can't have the president thinking she was desperate for a date! "We went to school together, and he knows my uncle!"

"Who does?" Boruto came walking by, holding on to a flash drive. "Dad, need to speak with you."

"Hold on, Boruto," Naruto held up his hand and smiled at Sarada. "Well, if your uncle knows him, and you went to school together, I think it's worth giving him a chance, don't you think?"

Sarada wished she could disappear. Both her bosses were looking at her, with their undivided attention. Boruto looked like he was ready to snap his flash drive in half.

"Umm… Well, yes?" Sarada answered. "I mean, I said I would go out to dinner with him tonight. It's all good."

Chocho rubbed her hands on her face, feeling frustrated as fuck that this was happening. All in front of Boruto, too. He didn't say a word, but his expression had hardened to one of anger and his lips poked out noticeably.

"My office, Dad." He eventually muttered before storming off in the direction of said office.

Naruto looked at him, "What's got him all worked up?" But turned to two girls to wave before heading over to Boruto's office. He was waiting there, by the door, and it slammed shut.

Sarada raised her brow. "What's got Boruto pissed off," she muttered and then looked at Chocho. "I thought you would be happy for me, you know? Taking your advice! Getting out there! You didn't have to tell Mr. Uzumaki that!"

Not with him! Chocho mentally screeched. But she was right. If this guy would make Sarada happy, then she should be happy. "You're right, sorry," she apologized. "I don't know what came over me, I just…" she sighed. "I just want to make sure he's good for you, okay?"

Sarada's face softened, and she gave her a warm smile. Chocho gave her a toothy grin in return, "You're my boss, but still my friend first, you know?"

She laughed. "Yes, of course." Sarada then turned to face her computer and got on to work.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but Chocho did mean it. She wanted Sarada to be happy. That was all.

.

.

.

Sarada closed her laptop with a satisfied smile on her face. "Time to go!" She announced happily. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ooh," Inojin smirked at Sarada. "Excited for your date, huh?"

She blushed, but eventually nodded. "Oh come on, it's the first date. Nothing is going to happen."

Inojin wolf-whistled. "With you in that dress? I highly doubt it."

Sarada looked away, looking irritated but mostly embarrassed. She chose to wear a little black dress under her blazer today, but now that her jacket was removed, it revealed a halter strapped dress, definitely ready for a nice dinner out.

Chocho hit Inojin with the back of her hand. "She could complain for sexual harassment, idiot!"

"Ouch, hey, watch it, Chubbs!" Inojin rubbed his head. "Sorry," he muttered to Sarada. "But seriously, you're looking good, boss. Sure to knock him out."

Boruto peeked out of his office, blue eyes settling on Sarada after only a couple seconds of searching. His brows narrowed as soon as he caught sight of her. "Sarada, I need to see you."

Sarada drew her attention to Boruto and held on to her bag. "I have to go, is it urgent?"

"Is it urgent? Is it urgent? Oh, it is urgent. Come." He said and then disappeared behind his door.

Sarada pouted, and then put her bag back down on her desk with a huff. "What does he want now?" she muttered under her breath. Inojin and Chocho shrugged. She took a deep breath and walked into his office, not bothering to knock or close the door behind her, ready for a quick chat and then dash out.

"Something has come up. I need you late tonight." Boruto said without wasting a beat.

She blinked a few times and then smiled, hiding her fury and confusion. "Late? But I already finished the reports hours ago, and I have a prior commitment. What is it?"

"Prior commitment?" Boruto snorted and ran his hand through his hair, tousling it. "I'm sorry but you'll have to reschedule."

Reschedule? You had no problem canceling a meeting for a date! Oh, she was close. So close to losing her shit. "What is it, sir?" She pressed. "What's the urgent matter that I need to attend to, that will require me to stay late." Sarada crossed her arms across her chest, waiting for his response.

"Several of our client's files have somehow vanished… we have to document everything from scratch." He shrugged while clicking away on his mouse and staring at his monitor. "There are several to take care of and I can't really get it done tonight myself, can I?"

"I have a backup. I ask Denki to do it every month," Sarada replied quickly. "And you can," she walked over around his desk and lightly pushed him away from his laptop, clicking in their internal drive. "Click here and access them, too."

A whole list of clients and accounts appeared, in alphabetical order. Feeling proud and smug (she had done the filing and archiving herself when she was an intern), she looked over to her side, only to realize their faces were only inches away.

Sarada's breath hitched, slowly realizing she just invaded his personal space and went on clicking around his laptop without asking for permission. She had to move, get out of his little bubble as soon as she could, but his eyes… they were the bluest eyes she had ever seen in her entire life. And she thought Mr. Uzumaki's eyes were as blue as blue could get, but Boruto's were definitely bluer.

His phone rang and she jumped up, scurrying away from him, face feeling hot and red. She stood in front of his desk, with her hands behind her back, looking like a scolded child. Oh my god. What did she just do? She shouldn't have done that! Stupid!

They both stood there, looking everywhere other than each other and Boruto finally had the sense to answer the phone. "H-hello?" His voice cracked. He cleared it and then answered again, "Hello, yes, speaking." He listened for a while, and then a wide grin spread on his face. "Perfect. Thank you. No, no, it's fine. I got it. Thank you." He put the phone down with a soft click and grinned at Sarada.

Oh. He looked far too happy. It unsettled her. "Thank you for teaching me how to find those files, Sarada. But it looks like you'll still need to stay."

Oh fuck. What was it now?

"We got another account showing interest for the Burger Ramen. I do believe some proper paperwork is needed to have it listed, and to run the same promotion for S-Mart. Wobblers and all." Boruto was so smug, so happy.

Sarada hated this. She swallowed. "No one will be in the office after an hour…" Sarada started. "Even if I finish the paperwork, you won't have everything ready and approved until tomorrow."

Boruto was still grinning like an idiot. "Best you get started, then. I can take care of the approvals. I want this on my desk by the time I arrive tomorrow. I'll have the directors sign it myself."

As soon as he arrived? Boruto always came to work early…

She bit her lower lip and looked down. This wasn't her day. "Okay," she whispered and then left his office, feeling like she could cry. It would take her at least three hours to finish the marketing plan, and then another hour or two to file the listing for finance to check. She would definitely finish later than ten in the evening…

Sarada walked back to her desk, catching Chocho and Inojin packing up, ready to leave.

"Hey," Chocho caught her and asked, "What's wrong? What did he want?"

Forcing a smile, she said, "Good news. Another account wants Burger Ramen. And I need to finish up their listing and marketing plan by tonight."

"What?" Inojin yelled. "Yo, that usually takes the three of us more than a day!"

"He wants it on his desk before he arrives," she explained softly, already turning her laptop back on.

"Hey, that isn't right," Inojin was raging, putting his bag back down on his desk, muttering expletives.

"You two can go," Sarada told them. "It's okay, I got this one. I can just copy most of the K-Mart stuff."

Chocho grimaced, "That's still a lot, though…"

"I got it," Sarada waved them off, already opening up her files.

"What about your date?" Chocho asked.

"Cancelled."

The two looked at each other, debating whether to stay or go.

Sarada looked at them and grinned. "Just go already. I'll see you tomorrow. Really, it's fine."

"Okay," Inojin picked his bag up and pulled Chocho with him. "Come on, Chubbs."

Once they left, Sarada took a deep breath and sighed. It was going to be a long, long night.


	6. The Reveal

To think that Sarada planned to go on a date on a work night or any night for that matter just left Boruto in a complete state of shock and disgust. Who did she think she was anyway? And with a guy she didn't even know? It was outrageous and Boruto didn't know how he was going to make sure she didn't go, but he knew she wasn't going.

His first plan was spontaneous and ridiculous, it was no wonder it failed. Luck was on his side though and he'd managed to keep her in the office. No date for her. He just couldn't help himself. Sarada was attractive, more than most people, and she was so smart. He just wanted to keep her all to himself and yet that wasn't possible. There was no way he'd ever actually tell her that. Not in this lifetime.

Even if this was for the best, Boruto could admit to himself that he was wrong in every aspect of the word. He shouldn't have been doing this to her, yet he couldn't care. If she wanted a date, he'd give her one. He was much better than whoever that loser was she thought she was going out with.

Not long after he knew when the others would have left, Boruto got his coat and keys before leaving his office. Sarada was at her desk, hard at work already. Of course, she would want to get it over with as soon as possible so that she could head home.

But it would be late no matter how fast she was.

Boruto walked over to her, feeling much lighter than he had all day. There was a relief because nobody else was around, just Sarada and she wasn't on a date. "Sarada, I'm going for dinner, what do you like?"

"To go home," she replied in a dead voice, face showing no emotion whatsoever.

"Oh, well that's too bad." Boruto rolled his eyes. She just had to be so damn difficult. "See ya."

"Chicken and waffles," She replied.

"You serious?" Boruto called over his shoulder, feeling as if she was just pulling his leg.

"Did I stutter?"

"Wow." He cocked a brow and then continued on his way. She could be so moody sometimes, but even when she was borderline scary, she turned him on.

Never in his life had he ordered chicken and waffles together and he admittingly spent several minutes looking up the mess on his phone before finding a decent looking place to get her some. Boruto didn't want anything to do with the chicken and waffles, it just didn't make sense to him and he wanted to know who came up with the idea to begin with. However, he supposed if Sarada liked it, it couldn't be too bad.

He got a sub sandwich for himself and then headed back to the office with chicken and waffles on his mind—and Sarada. When he walked back inside and onto their floor, he found Sarada still at her desk, hard at work. He carried the food over to her and she finally peeked up at him.

"Want to eat in my office?"

"Thank you, but I have to finish this," she looked at the clock, it was already eight in the evening. "Getting late, you know?"

"Fine." He huffed and sat the food down on her desk. He looked over to Inojin's desk and went to get his chair, deciding just to sit with her since she was so difficult.

Sarada watched him pull the chair over and open up his sub. She didn't say anything, didn't make a move to eat, either. Boruto frowned, knowing she was upset about working late but he got her the chicken and stupid waffles and he was willing to sit with her and play nice but she just had to be rude. He was ready to eat but at the same time, he didn't want to eat and watch her work.

"Are you not going to eat with me?"

"I didn't know you were going to eat with me," she snickered but made a move to get her food open. "Thank you, though. How much do I owe you?" Sarada asked as she poured the maple syrup on the waffles… and then she did the weirdest thing… she poured it on the chicken, too!

"Well… it's just us here. Why shouldn't we eat together?" Boruto said while trying not to stare at her meal. "You don't owe me anything."

"I'm only going to ask one more time how much I owe you before I actually take you up on that," Sarada replied, as she cut up her waffles and chicken, all laden with maple syrup. She poked a piece of chicken and popped it in her mouth, turning to face him and waiting for his response.

"Like I already said, nothing." He told her before having a bite of his sub. It was just what he wanted.

Sarada chewed her food and swallowed, taking a piece of her waffles this time and forking more into her mouth. After a while, she noticed Boruto was looking her way, not at her, but at her food. "Oh my god, are you judging my food?"

"Eh?" He blinked, blue eyes widening as they shot up to her face and his ears turned red. "I was not."

"You totally are!" She accused, but there was no anger in her voice at all. "Have you ever tried it?"

The blonde shook his head a few times. "Never." And he didn't want to try it either. Did he? It was certainly strange. "You know what's good…"

She giggled and poked a piece of chicken and waffle, swiped up some maple syrup and held it out for him. "Try it, and tell me if it isn't good."

As if Boruto would pass up such an opportunity. He leaned forward and opened his mouth, happily accepting the bite. It didn't matter if it tasted like shit. If she was feeding it to him, he would take it. He chewed and the flavors hit him with a blend that was actually good. He couldn't believe it. He swallowed and then smiled at her.

"It is good. Maybe we should do chicken and waffle ramen."

She threw her head back and laughed. Now that was something. This guy seriously had a thing for weird flavors. "Don't be silly."

"Yeah you're right, that would be taking things too far, I guess." He chuckled and then went back to eating his sub while watching her.

He absolutely hated how beautiful she was. It just wasn't natural. He was practically sinning every time he looked at her and he found it hard to look away.

By the time they finished their meal, Sarada asked him why he was still in the office, and instead of answering her straight up why, he just told her he also had other things to finish and went back to his office, looking for anything to do while waiting for her.

There certainly wasn't much to do, at least not after he finished any work that he could, so he spent a while texting Himawari and it hadn't been a good time because she was looking for someone to vent to about drama with her friends. It wasn't something that interested Boruto, but he dealt with it.

At least it passed the time.

Being at the office this late really did suck and would have been much better if they could have worked in his office together, but instead, he was in here, she was out there, and they were not together. It really sucked for Boruto. Himawari eventually stopped texting after he suggested she apologize to the girl and she did. They made up quickly and it only made the whole thing seem even more ridiculous.

He kept checking the time and scrolling through his social media accounts until after nine. She had to be almost finished by now and he knew he needed to check on her. She usually took the train, but tonight he wanted to take her home if only to have a few more moments with her. It wouldn't be a long ride, but anything was better than nothing.

Sarada stood from her desk and did a big stretch, groaning a bit from the effort. There was a small smile on her face, and she clicked on her laptop a few more times and then walked over to the printer. It seemed he had come out at a good time. He smiled to himself as he made his way over to her, hands sliding into his pockets.

"Got it done?" He asked, impressed by her work ethic yet again. His father would be proud of his reports.

"Did you expect anything less?" Sarada smirked, obviously also impressed with herself.

"Not at all. You're my best girl," He said without a thought. Sometimes his mouth just had a mind of its own.

The top of her ears reddened and she ducked down to get the papers from the printer. "D-don't let Chocho hear you s-say that," she stammered. And hurriedly walked around him, walking fast to her desk and rummaged around her drawers for a stapler.

"Well, it's the truth." He hummed, glad to have gotten a reaction out of her. It made it so worth the word vomit. "You can just leave it on your desk and I'll grab it on my way in tomorrow. I'll give you a ride home."

Sarada dropped the stapler and scrambled to pick it up again. "It's okay. I'll take the train." She replied, hyperfocused on the papers she's stapling.

"Don't." Boruto frowned. Always so difficult. "Let me give you a ride. It's late… and dangerous."

She looked at her watch and sighed. It was late, and the train would be closing in a few minutes. With a loud sigh, she looked at him and asked, "Are you sure it isn't any trouble? I can walk, it's fine."

"Walk?!" Boruto snapped. "Don't you even think about it. I'm not above carrying your ass to the car." She had apparently lost her mind. Walk.

"That isn't necessary!" She snapped back. Why did he have to be so insistent? "Fine, I'll take the ride. Thank you."

"That's more like it." He smirked and fiddled with his keys in his pocket while she finished up.

Sarada packed up quickly and held on to her phone, leading the way out of the office and onto the reception area. The halls were dark, they were the only ones left on the floor, maybe on most floors, too.

While they waited for the elevator, Sarada was texting on her phone, the light illuminating her face, glasses reflecting part of her screen. The words were too small, but Boruto could see she was chatting with someone. He frowned at wondering if she was going to try and have her date anyway, even though it was late. That meant it was a sex date and he was about to barf just imagining it. Not only that, but he couldn't put a face to this guy and he really wanted to punch his ass.

"Sorry about your date today. I overheard… the fact that something came up must mean that he's not any good and you should steer clear of him." He was probably a creep for sure, just wanting to get into her pants. Boruto shuddered just thinking about it and then the doors finally opened to the elevator and they stepped on.

Upon hearing his comment, she put her phone down and tipped her head to the side. "Wow, that's real assuming of you. You don't even know the guy." She had a teasing smile on her face. "If I didn't know any better, I might think you're just jealous," Sarada said the last part softly as if she wasn't even thinking about it and went back to texting on her phone.

"Jealous?" Boruto repeated, trying not to let his panic show. Shit, he was definitely jealous. "I'm not jealous, that would be silly. I'm just concerned." Any boss would be.

"What?" she looked up from her phone, and the elevator opened to their floor. "Jealous?" She walked a few steps ahead of him and then asked again, "What are you talking about? I was joking." Unless…

"Right." Boruto laughed nervously and tried to play it cool. "I'm just saying… be careful."

"I always am," Sarada replied, letting him lead the way to his car.

Boruto didn't take her word for it, he couldn't help but want to make sure she wasn't and any strange men on dates and especially sex dates. They got into the car and he started it before glancing at her. She looked good in his passenger seat.

"You said its Eleventh?"

"Yes, the apartment block right next to the convenience store," she replied as she put her seatbelt on. Sarada looked around. "Nice car."

"Thanks, it's my baby for sure." He grinned and got going, keeping it nice and slow—or not speeding at least. He wasn't in any hurry and wished she lived a little further away. Almost. "Have you lived there long?" He asked, wanting to learn some things about her that weren't work-related.

"I moved in last year, my commute was getting too stressful, so I had to move out," Sarada replied. "How about you? Do live with Mr. Uzumaki?"

"I have my own place. Bought it when I first started college. I go visit often though." His family was important to him and he didn't like missing out on them. Making memories meant a lot to him.

"That sounds nice," Sarada smiled. "Gets lonely sometimes, though…" She looked out the window, they were getting closer. "I often miss my parents."

It was nice to know that she was close to her family too. Sarada really seemed like a good girl, just a little feisty. A great combination. "We have to take what time we can with them."

"That's true," Sarada straightened up and pointed a little up ahead. "That's me."

Boruto followed her directions and pulled into the lot, parking where she suggested as well before putting his car in park. He left it running as he got out and rounded the car to open the door for her. She was just finished gathering her purse and things. He smiled softly at her as she got out and then he closed the door.

She looked as if she wanted to bid him good night… but then looked as if she wanted to question him when he walked along with her. More time was a good thing, but he just wanted to know that she made it inside safely. He didn't like the idea of her living around so many other people, but he didn't know what he was worrying about everything Sarada.

By the time they reached her door, both of them were at a loss—thoughtful and wondering. There was no chance of finding any words to build sentences when their minds were so preoccupied, but they managed their goodbyes and once she was inside, Boruto turned and started walking to his car sullenly.

Along the ride and even after he made it home, Boruto couldn't for the life of him figure out what his problem was. Why did he care if Sarada went on a date? Why would he be jealous over another man whom he'd never even met? She wasn't his girl. He didn't even actually like her like that, did he?

Who was he kidding? Boruto definitely had a crush on Sarada.

There was just too much to like about her and she also somehow seemed untouchable. That made him want her so much more. Still, work was work and he couldn't go pulling stunts like keeping her late anymore. Hopefully, she wouldn't be attempting any more dates after tonight.

.

.

.

The first of December arrived, and with it, a new event suggested by his father. It was a sort of secret santa, called Feel Good Friend, where each employee was given another to bring cheer to throughout the month. Boruto just so happened to get Sarada and he was having fun with brightening her days. He was outdoing his fellow workers by a longshot, but this was Sarada and Boruto had a thing for spoiling special girls.

Every morning, he bought her coffee—remembering how she took it from the very first day he met her—and left it on her desk with different post-it notes each day, all covered in words of praise and encouragement. He created a secret santa account and emailed her during lunch everyday, saying all good things that would make her smile or at least lighten her mood midday. Then he'd send another, with suggestions for relaxing songs, fine wine and things she could do to compliment them and end up having a great night of sleep.

Then, every Friday, Boruto gifted her something bigger and better each week. The first week, he got her a soft and fluffy Christmas blanket, a Christmas mug, hot cocoa mix, popcorn and one of his all-time favorite movies on DVD all in a gift basket together. Surely she would love it.

The next Friday he bought her an array of chocolate covered strawberries, a dozen red roses that were set in a beautiful arrangement once again by Inojin's mother and a gift card to a salon he'd heard good things about from his helpful sister.

Himawari was a big help when it came to gift ideas.

Boruto was always buying her things after all.

The third Friday, Boruto had bought her a charm bracelet with a few fitting pieces attached. Her birthstone, and two rubies because red was just her color. It cost him a pretty penny, so he didn't let himself feel bad for not getting her more that day.

Christmas was the following week, and Boruto would be sad when it ended.

His secret santa was making his days better as well. He'd gotten nice notes, a new tie that was a soft pink. He'd been excited to wear it to work the next day and it has since become one of his favorites. The gifts he was getting came erratically, sometimes getting three in a day, and other times none. It bummed him out when he didn't get anything, but the following day, his secret Santa always made up for it with homemade lunch. That was his favorite thing to get, and although it didn't come daily, Boruto was always excited to see it sitting on his desk with a post-it after his morning meetings.

The other people in the office were starting to talk and guess who got who. Boruto felt sorry for some people who got stingy Santas and didn't bother to give half as much as he had been giving to Sarada. The roses he got her really got people talking, they wouldn't shut up for days.

"Is this a Secret Santa or like, a Secret Admirer?" Inojin snorted during lunch. "Whoever got Sarada really likes her. I bet my Christmas bonus on it."

Shikadai laughed and tossed in a few names, guessing who it might be. Inojin was sad his mother didn't tell him who bought the roses, and refused to talk. Boruto joined them that one lunchtime, and enjoyed watching Sarada indulge in her chocolate covered Strawberries, feeling slightly salty that she shared it with everyone. But it made her happy, and that's all that mattered.

Boruto dug into his homemade lunch. The tupperware was pink and yellow, and he made sure to wash it after every meal and left it in the pantry so his santa could come and collect it at any time.

"Boruto, any guesses who got Sarada?" Shikadai asked him, smugly.

Oh. That fucker was playing. Shikadai was smart, and he could have easily guessed, but Boruto covered up all his tracks. No way he would find out.

"Kagura, maybe." He shrugged, not liking the idea but using it to hide the fact that it was really him. The secret had to remain a secret until the party.

Sarada was listening intently to his guess, and Boruto got pissed when she agreed, "Yeah, I thought it might be him, too." She laughed. "He's out on the field all the time, he's the only one with the time."

Boruto barely refrained from telling her the truth because that just settled with him in all the wrong ways. She would learn the truth soon enough though and he couldn't wait to see the look on her face. The next big gift wouldn't be given until the party, the day before Christmas Eve. Time had gone by too quickly and he would definitely miss his Santa, but he was excited to learn who it was at the same time. His last gift was already wrapped and ready to be given and the day of the party arrived before he knew it.

It was sure to be an interesting night.


	7. The Reveal

Feel Good Friend wasn't new around the company. This was a yearly activity that everyone participated in, making the office feel merrier and the people who used to not talk to each other finally did this time around. Some of the people had a bit of a reputation with being a Santa. Inojin was a little mean, sometimes teasing their baby instead of actually making an effort to say something nice. Chocho was known to always give food, something she had in her drawer or similar to what she would eat herself, and everyone always found out if it was her or not early in the game.

Sarada, though… she knew how to play this game right. There were so many ways to hide her identity. Asking a third party to deliver the gift, making other people choose the words for what she wanted to say, and asking her Papa and Mama to write the notes in advance. That way, no one ever knew it was her.

Getting a boss as a baby was every employee's worst nightmare. Not only because it looked like they were sucking up, but also because it was so hard to find the right gifts. What do you gift the president of the company? What was something he couldn't buy for himself, his wife not cook for him, or his colleagues say nice things about him? _Nothing._

Although when Sarada read the name on the slip of paper that she got, her heart skipped a beat, but not for the reasons her officemates often said about getting bosses for FGF…

Boruto was her boss, yes. But he was her age and liked many things. Yes, he was rich, and had a pretty paycheck, for sure, but he seemed to be pretty simple and was easy to please.

Now, the challenge was, how to make him think it wasn't her.

The first few days there was rarely any activity, but Sarada was so shocked to come to work and find that her tumbler was already full of coffee. Hot and steaming, and with a post-it note greeting her good morning. Surprising, but very sweet. For the next few weeks, she didn't even need to go to Ninbucks, since her Santa had already gotten it for her. Whoever they were, saved her a lot of money, and brought her a lot of joy, for sure.

On the third day, she thought of getting him some snacks. Cheap versions first, but the good ones. She was happy to know that he liked those snacks as well, even telling everyone it's what he used to have during his childhood days. Nice. Good choice.

Sarada's emails were blowing up daily. Not because of work, but because her Santa was writing her emails nearly three times a day, if not more, saying weird and happy things. Things that they liked about her. Chocho would often lean in and tease her that her Santa was in love with her. She snorted and brushed it off.

The next gifts Sarada gave was a new office mug, bright pink with a thunderbolt on it. She thought it would be a cute joke, maybe even piss him off because it was pink but he _loved_ it. Sarada confirmed it. Pink was Boruto's favorite color. Good on her, her mother loved pink as well and helped choose an array of gifts in this shade. From chopsticks to pink champagne, the sunny smile on Boruto's face whenever he got his gifts made her heart flutter.

God. Why was he so cute? He had to stop being so cute.

Her mother didn't know who she got, and neither did Sasuke. But they were happy to write the notes she printed out, sent to them to write, and picked up the notes they made in assorted colored papers after they had their dinner. Sasuke was insistent to know, but Sarada kept her mouth shut. Not even when her mother bribed her with chocolate, she still didn't say a thing.

"Hn." Sasuke sulked. The notes were pretty generic, but there were some that made him suspicious.

"You look great today!"

"Good luck with your presentation, you'll charm their socks off, for sure."

"Sorry about the project denial, you'll get them next time!"

"I love seeing you in the tie I got you. You look cute."

Sasuke hated the last one, and held on to it, as he was the one who wrote it. "It's a boy," was all he said.

Sarada grinned and pulled the paper from between his fingers and kissed his cheek. "What? Is it a sin to say a boy looks cute, Papa?"

"You bought him a _tie_."

"Mama picked it out!" Sarada explained.

Sakura laughed at their exchange and hugged her husband. "Nothing wrong with it, right, darling?"

"Hn."

Sarada turned heel and left, an armful of food her mother cooked for her to have for the rest of the week. She made sure not to eat any of it for lunch, as she made packed lunches for Boruto, noticing how he always bought food outdoors. The more he praised it over lunch, the more compelled she felt to cook for him and make his lunch, always something different from hers. It was more effort, but she found herself enjoying it, too.

The gifts she got each week got bigger and bigger, and her suspicion grew. The Christmas basket with the blanket, DVD, popcorn, and cocoa was far too grand for a first week gift. No one in their office ever gifted something like it…

 _Then it must be someone new…_ She thought. The very next day, she got a gift, too. Not traditionally how the older office folks did it.

The following week left her speechless. The chocolate-covered strawberries were not only costly, but the red roses were also over the top.

"Shit, this Santa is in love with you," Inojin teased. "I wonder who it could be."

"Definitely not _you_ ," Sarada bit back. "Even if it is from your mother's flower shop."

Inojin was at a loss for words, but he complained that his mother did tell him she got a delivery order for Sarada that day, but wouldn't share who it was. "It was a girl," Inojin rolled his eyes. "What a liar. No way a girl would get you _that._ "

Sarada looked back at the basket, and just in time, an email popped up, saying she hoped she liked the red gifts…

It was really getting suspicious. Who would spoil her this much? Kagura. He was her first thought, but even his gifts last year weren't this grand. Nowhere near it. What if it were a boss? All of them were married… Except…

Sarada nearly dropped her phone. No way… It couldn't be… Her eyes drifted to the office on her right. The door was closed, but the light was on, and she could hear him talking to someone on the phone.

"It couldn't be…" she whispered.

"Huh?" Inojin didn't hear her. "What did you say?"

"No, no," Sarada shook her head and pushed the bouquet away from her. There was absolutely no chance in hell that her _boss_ was her Santa. It was all too much.

Over lunch that day, she decided to share the strawberries, as there were far too many for her to consume all alone. It was also a nice conversation starter, and Boruto was there in the pantry, eating the packed lunch she had made.

Shikadai had been so smug, eyeing the strawberries and listening intently to what the others have been receiving. He gave back Sarada's phone, after reading the emails her Santa had been sending her. "He's extra, I'll give him that," he smirked. "Any idea who it could be, _Boruto_?"

She froze. He was starting to be her number one suspect, and the way he choked on his food made her think… shit… it couldn't be, could it?

But Boruto's response was quick and said the first culprit she thought of as well.

Kagura.

Well, it made sense. Kagura had a lot of time to think of gifts and was often out. He's sweet… but didn't really seem like the type to splurge like this. All she could do was agree, there was no way she was going to argue and say it was Boruto… not even to tease. All their work friends were there and she was afraid of what they would think.

Boruto looked pissed. Chomping down on his food… did he not like the fish and vegetables she cooked? It stung, Sarada searched for hours and made two attempts to get it right. Maybe something store-bought for the next day. Burgers or sandwiches, perhaps. He seemed to like those.

As the days got busier, she had less and less time to get him gifts. Resulting in writing him notes herself, and sticking it on his door whenever he would leave for a meeting instead. But the gifts she got bigger and bigger.

"Giiiiirl!" Chocho had stars in her eyes as she looked at the box again. "Jewelry? Your Santa got you a bracelet with _rubies_ in it!" The girl was ecstatic, and Sarada was really at a loss for words… This was too much. Boruto was watching them from the open door of his office, a big smile on his face.

"I can't accept this," Sarada said, taking the box from Chocho. "It's too much."

"What do you mean?" She whined. "Sarada, please! Come on, it looked like it had a lot of effort put in. With _you_ definitely in mind!"

It didn't feel right. Not even with all her past boyfriends did she ever get a gift so fancy. Her brows furrowed and she chewed on her lower lip… "I know…" She smiled sadly. "I've never gotten anything this nice."

"Then shouldn't you just accept it and be happy?" Boruto suggested nonchalantly.

Sarada unintentionally gave him a pointed stare. He was still the top of her suspect list. But this was far too much. Was he mocking her? That she never got something so pretty from someone who wasn't her parents? "Big gifts don't really impress me," is all she said and closed the box.

"But Saradaaaaaa," Chocho whined. "Don't give it baaack!"

"It's not about how big it is. It was a gift for you, one that you like and wouldn't your Santa be hurt if you didn't accept it? That's not the way we spread cheer around here. Is it?" Boruto asked, blue eyes narrowing on her in challenge.

Wow. He was so insistent with her keeping it. Big time suspect for sure.

"You seem awfully touchy about it," she huffed.

Chocho groaned. "Why you gotta be so mean?"

Sarada's gaze hardened on Chocho. Was she in on this? "I'm not being mean. I like it, it's pretty. But _definitely_ over the budget."

"Hey, no rules about that," Chocho pointed a finger at her.

She was supposed to be Sarada's friend! On her side! Sarada has had enough of it. She opened the box again and looked at the bracelet. It was beautiful, and definitely something she would love to wear. Something just felt off, unsettled by how much her Santa was spoiling her. The thought that it could be Boruto made her stomach flip… What was happening to her?

.

.

.

The day of their annual Christmas party finally arrived. It was the only thing anyone ever talked about, other than their Christmas plans. The year had been wrapped up, and now it was time for some fun. This year's theme was Red and Green. Typical. The party committee wasn't all too prepared with the invitations, but the venue certainly made up for it.

The function hall that they rented was bursting with life. There were plant decorations, flowers and ornaments on the table to give it a hint of Christmas cheer. The lights were colored, changing from pink to purple. It looked a lot like a wedding setup, that is, if were a Christmas wedding.

Sarada wore a moss green colored off-shoulder dress, the skirt flowing right above her knees, and a pair of high heels. Her hair was swept back into a half pony-tail, her dark tresses in soft curls at the bottom. For today, she opted not to wear her glasses and wore the bracelet that her Santa had given her.

She put her gift on the gift table, not addressed to anyone. Just a tag with her name on it. There were already a few, some were big and others small. The choice of wrapping paper made some of the gifts obvious what was inside. A bottle of wine, and a few mugs. Sarada snickered, not exactly the kind of present someone might want to receive. There were some large boxes and she wondered what was inside… maybe she would be getting something that big, knowing how extra her Santa was. Her gaze then drifted to the small boxes, wondering if maybe her Santa might prank her with a useless gift since she'd been getting so much.

It all really depended on who got her. But she hoped that Boruto would like what she picked out for him.

"Wow, Sarada. You look beautiful." Boruto said, surprising her from his sudden appearance. He was smiling as he set a flat box on the gift table, wrapped in shiny red and green paper.

Sarada eyed his gift, taking a second to guess but couldn't think of anything. Her gaze then rose up to his hands and wrist, something shiny caught her eye and her cheeks colored.

Perhaps from the earlier compliment, but mostly because he was wearing the cufflinks she bought him as her last gift before the final reveal. "Thanks…" she muttered. "Nice cufflinks." Her gaze then traveled up his sleeve, covered in a black suit. He was wearing a red vest and tie, and she stopped looking right at his face.

Gosh. That smile. It could melt the snow outside.

"You look pretty snazzy yourself, sir," she grinned.

"I actually love these," Boruto said while playing with the cufflink on his right wrist. "Can't wait to find out who my Santa is."

Her heart stopped for a moment, but she played it cool. "You have no idea who it is?" She pretended to sound shocked, but she didn't need to pretend too much. It was a thing in the office to guess and give their Santas a hard time, but Boruto never did anything of the sort. "Not even one suspect?"

"Well," He hummed, still smiling as his blue eyes locked on hers. "I've had a few thoughts on it… but I can't be sure."

They both walked away from the gift table, and towards the main hall as they spoke, walking side by side. "Really? And you're not even going to tell me who you might think it is?" Sarada teased.

Boruto laughed lightly and leaned closer to her as if to whisper in her ear. "I think it's you."

She was so distracted with his proximity and his answer that she tripped on an open cord. Sarada let out a shriek but was caught and steadied by Boruto. His arms wrapped around her slim waist and the next thing she knew, she was pressed up against him.

"Careful now," He mused, not making any move to release her.

Sarada looked at him, drawn in by his blue eyes, also not making a move to step away. "Th-thanks…" he felt so warm. Reluctantly, she made a move to step away, but their hands were the last to let go. Sarada eyed the management table. Naruto and Konohamaru were already there. "I'll head to my table," She laughed nervously and flashed her card. "Closer to the buffet table."

Boruto nodded and allowed his gaze to drift to his table. "Enjoy yourself." He smiled at her once more before leaving her to join Naruto and Konohamaru.

Sarada walked to her table, thankful that when she sat down, no one noticed her presence, or who she was with just a moment ago. Remembering how easy he caught her and held on to her lithe body made her blush. It was getting hot… too hot. She reached for a glass of water and gulped it down, earning a bewildered look from Inojin.

"You okay? Thirsty?"

She nearly spat her drink out. In between coughs, she replied, "Yeah, I'm fine."

The gang went on chatting before the program happened. The usual opening remarks were done by HR and each of the management directors gave a few words about their performance for the year. The raffle then followed, and a few of them won some appliances, products, and for the lucky ones—gadgets. It was a good night, and Sarada won a gift certificate for groceries and shopping. Not bad, at least she won something for the night. Inojin kept whining he didn't win anything, though.

After dinner was served, the band they hired came up to play. After a few songs, the band singer announced that they were going to close the evening but before that, requested everyone to take their gifts from the table and make a circle around the dancefloor in order to reveal their Secret Santas.

She gulped. This was it.

Sarada took her gift from the table, it was probably the smallest—well—lightest one. She held on to the red envelope and found her place in the circle next to Chocho and Inojin. Right across her was Boruto, a wide grin on his face as he held on to his gift and he was… looking right at her.

She tore her gaze away from him and fumbled with the seam of her dress. Konohamaru started, saying that before you reveal who you got, you have to say a few good things about your baby and give people a chance to guess who it was.

A few good things… in the span of a few months, Sarada could already think of a bunch of good things about Boruto. He was a relatively good boss. Understanding and gave her the opportunity to shine. Her eyes wandered over to him, he was looking around excitedly, listening to the other people reveal who their babies were. Once their baby was revealed, they would accept the gift, and go on to say who their baby was. The exchanges kept coming, and at this point, Sarada wasn't paying attention to guess who might have gotten her—too distracted thinking of what kind things to say about her boss.

"Hey, Wasabi already got a gift," Denki pointed out. "The chain was broken."

Everyone looked around, guessing who didn't receive and say something yet when Boruto announced that he had yet to reveal who his baby was.

Chocho elbowed Sarada, and she was pulled out her thoughts. Her colleague pointed across the circle, and when she turned to look, Boruto was already approaching her. Putting two and two together, she finally got up to speed.

 _Oh my god,_ Sarada thought. "You're my Santa?" she asked quietly.

Boruto was all grins as he handed out the gift he'd brought towards her. "It's me."

At a loss for words, Sarada looked at his gift, holding it out to her, she looked up at him, a bright smile on her face and she laughed. "That's crazy." She handed him her gift. "I'm your Santa."

Everyone hushed, but the band singer hollered, announcing that everyone finally got their gifts, and cheers to a crazy coincidence. And now that everyone had a gift, they could open it up.

Sarada didn't even notice that people were staring, or heard what everyone was murmuring about. Some were too distracted opening their own gifts, too.

She took his gift, and handed her his. "I hope you like it… Best watched with a special someone."

Boruto opened the envelope and took a look before responding and his eyes amazingly brightened the tiniest bit. "You'll have to join me then."

Sarada opened up her gift, again, at a loss for words. He gave her a necklace to match her bracelet. She looked at him, blinking quickly. "I can't." She replied. "And I can't accept this. Your girlfriend will be upset if I do." She closed the box and handed it back to him.

"What?" Boruto frowned and pushed the box back towards her. "Who's girlfriend?"

"Yours!" Sarada's face twisted. "You know, the person you always talk to on the phone and send flowers to when you should be in a meeting?"

"Himawari?" Boruto asked, not sure what to think.

Himawari. _Perfect_. Of _course_ her name had to be that. The sunflower pen made so much sense now.

"She's my sister." He finished, giving her a smug look.

"Your—wha?" Sarada sputtered, totally at a loss and confused. Sister?!

"Yes, Himawari is my sister. I don't know what made you think otherwise. And I don't have a girlfriend."

Wow. That was embarrassing. That's the last time Sarada would trust Inojin and Chocho's sleuthing abilities. "But… the date and flowers…" To be fair, now it was all making sense. But it was still weird. She could have sworn they were together with all the calls and "I love yous" she kept on hearing. "Oh my god…" she whispered, cheeks burning from humiliation. "That's embarrassing. I'm sorry!"

Boruto laughed and waved her off. "Don't apologize. I can understand the confusion. Well, now you know."

Sarada laughed nervously and looked at the box again. Now that the issue of him being in a relationship was out the window, she could accept his gift, right? Opening the box again, she looked at the necklace, shining and screaming to be put on.

"Allow me." Boruto scooped up the necklace, fingers unclasping it as he looked her over. He held it in one hand to use the other and sweep her hair from her back, over her shoulder. "Get your hair."

Sarada swallowed hard, trying to calm her racing heart as Boruto placed the necklace around her neck, fingers brushing over the back of her neck as he hooked it in place. He stepped in front of her, still smiling that smile of his. It didn't help calm her heart.

"Definitely stunning."

The band picked back up just as the bar was opened and the room got a lot livelier. Everyone's excitement was still high and it seemed that they were all too eager to drink. Boruto and Sarada joined in for one, watching as everybody else danced. They were ready to party the night away and face horrible hangovers come morning…

Not Sarada, though. She didn't want to experience another hangover so soon.

"Hey, you want to get out of here?" Boruto asked Sarada once he finished his first glass of champagne. "I have a feeling things are going to get out of control."

He took the words right out of her mouth. Looking at her flute (nearly drained of its sparkly contents), her colleagues doing shots (war flashbacks coming), and Boruto's smiling face. Her heart felt lighter just looking at him. She mirrored his smile and for once, thought, _fuck it_ and threw all caution to the wind. "Let's."


	8. A Meeting Invite Isn't A Date Invite

Sitting across from Sarada at Ninbucks was only one of the reasons Boruto was feeling so lucky. It turned out that Sarada was his Santa and while he'd hoped for it, he truly hadn't expected it. How much of a coincidence was it for them to end up with each other like that? It was amusing to him and had been a shock to many others. Nobody had been expecting it, not just him. It was cute in its own way and Boruto was happy with the outcome.

The party had been fun, he'd almost secured two _kinda_ dates with Sarada. Was this a date? Definitely… _not._ It kind of felt like one when he peered across the table at her, studying the beauty that she was, admiring the bracelet on her wrist and the necklace around her neck—both gifts from him. He was smug about it, who wouldn't be? He had to watch out with people like Kagura around and he also had to do what he could to make her want him.

It wouldn't be long before she was confessing her love for him.

Sarada ordered hot chocolate while Boruto went with coffee, the same he always got at Ninbucks. He could drink it at any hour and did so often. Even at home, it had become a habit of his honestly after many late nights. Seeing her sip the hot chocolate reminded him of one of the gifts he'd given her and he decided to ask her about it.

"Did you watch the movie?"

Sarada put her cup down. "Yeah, I did. My first time watching it, actually." She grinned. "I liked it."

"It's my favorite Christmas movie." He admitted with a smile while picturing her snuggled under the blanket, sipping hot chocolate with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. It was something he could imagine forever. "And… what? Did you say it was your first time?"

Sarada laughed. "I knew I would get that reaction." She picked her cup back up and took a sip, not breaking their eye contact as she did. "I've always wanted to but never had the chance."

"Wow." He was surprised and glad that he'd helped her get the chance. "Well… you're welcome. Now you'll watch it every year."

Sarada snickered. "I'm more of a Christmas Carol kind of girl. Have you seen the play?"

"No. What's it like?"

Now it was her turn to freak out. "What? It's a classic! You haven't read the book, either?"

Boruto laughed at her disbelief. "Nope."

"Then the tickets I got you are perfect."

"Is that what those are for?" He asked, raising a brow as he set his coffee down and pulled the envelope out of the chest pocket inside his suit jacket. He probably should have paid more attention the first time, but she was distracting. "You're going to go with me right?"

"Only if you send me a meeting invite on Outlook," she joked.

"Why would I do that? I'm giving you a personal invitation right now. In person."

Sarada put her cup down and looked at him, a sly smile on her face. " _Boss_ , are you asking me out on a _date_?" She faked and exaggerated a gasp and then giggled. "What would HR think?"

"Are you saying you want it to be a date?" He questioned with a smirk. "Don't worry about Konohamaru, he won't have anything to say on the matter. At least not to you."

She pursed her lips and picked her cup back up, refusing to meet his gaze. "I don't do office romances, and I bought those tickets for you, not me."

"Ooh, is that right?" Boruto couldn't help but laugh. "And you bought two tickets… but there is only one of me. Do you expect me to waste one?"

She shrugged. "I expect you to do as you please with them."

"Great." He said as he looked over the details on the ticket. "I'll pick you up around six that evening then."

"I don't recall saying I will," Sarada responded. "What makes you think I'm free, too?"

"Are you saying you're not?" She could have had a date for all he knew. It was on Christmas Eve. Maybe she had a boyfriend or maybe she would be with her family. "You have other plans?"

For a moment, she didn't say anything. He knew that look. She was thinking about a lot of things… he hoped going with him was the best option she could come up with. "I do, actually. I'm having dinner with my parents, and I'm staying with them until New Year."

Boruto's face threatened to fall at her admission. "Oh." He couldn't really get in the way of something that important, no matter how much he wanted her to go with him. At least he could make sure there was no way. When would he have another chance without giving himself away? "Are you sure you couldn't make both?"

Thinking a little more, Sarada took a long sip from her hot chocolate and stared at her cup. "I'll have to check what time the train closes, but even if, it'll take me more than an hour to get there…"

"I said I would pick you up. I'll take you home too." It wouldn't be any trouble. Boruto would be more than glad to do what he had to, to have this not date with her.

"That's over an hour!" Sarada was incredulous. "Don't you have plans for Christmas Eve?"

Of course, he did. Boruto was a family man, but no way would he not use this opportunity or waste a gift from Sarada. "Dinner with my family. They will be okay though. They have me for that night anyway."

"I don't want to intrude…" she looked out the window, a flurry was starting. "The weather might be bad, too," she muttered.

 _So difficult._ "Sarada, go with me." He said with a huff. She needed to just agree and be done.

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "Even on holidays, you have to tell me what to do, huh?"

"I asked nicely and you wanted to give me a hard time." He shrugged and then had a sip of his coffee.

Sarada laughed lightly. "I do what I can. I'll wait for that calendar invite." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully before taking another sip from her drink.

"Fine. If that's how it has to be…" She was even worse than Himawari and surprisingly, it only made him like her more. He wasn't one for being on his phone when he was on not dates, but he pulled it out of his pocket anyway and went to work. It only took him a moment to send the invitation and then he set his phone on the table and sipped his coffee.

Sarada's phone pinged, and she picked it up, snickering as she saw the invitation. She sent her reply quickly and put her phone on the table. Eagerly waiting for him to check her response.

Boruto picked his phone back up and looked at the screen. "Tentative?!" He frowned, her level of difficulty only continuing to grow. "Stop messing around. Yes or no?"

"It's tentative for a reason, you know?"

He sighed, a smile tugging at his lips. "I see… fine. I'll let it go for now, then." He would just have to make her want to go.

Sarada gave him a warm smile and finished up her drink. She placed the empty cup down on the table and looked at the time on her phone. "I should be going… it's getting late."

Boruto finished his coffee and then stood up, looking out the window to see the snow was picking up and that dress looked great, but not exactly warm. He grabbed his coat and held it open as she stood. "Here,"

For the first time, Sarada didn't make it difficult for him. She said her thanks as she slipped her arms in, letting the coat cover her up. It made her look so small. Boruto really liked it.

"Nice and warm now." He hummed and grabbed his phone before leading the way out. It had gotten colder since they arrived it seemed. They walked out together, Boruto making a beeline for his car.

After unlocking it, he opened the passenger side door for Sarada and stepped back, turning to look at her. His eyes went wide when he found her leaning into him as if she was going to kiss him and then _she did._ Her pink lips pressed a warm, soft kiss to his cheek that made his heart stutter and his ears burn. Then she just got into the car as if nothing had happened.

"What? You kissed me." He couldn't make sense of it. And he wasn't moving until she explained.

Sarada pointed up at the street light, a shy smile on her face. "This whole street has mistletoe hanging on the street lights… I'm sorry if—did I overstep?" Her cheeks reddened even more.

Boruto glanced up to find that there was, in fact, a mistletoe just above where he stood. "Well, unexpected. But no." He grinned. "You're just lucky you saw it before I did."

Sarada didn't respond, only shied her gaze away from him, suddenly looking a lot warmer than she did when out in the snow. Boruto was feeling pretty warm himself as he closed her door, smile ever-present.

Once they got on the road to her place, she and Boruto exchanged small talk about the event for a while. It really had been fun and both of them were glad to have found out who their Santas were, but the fact that it was over left them feeling bittersweet. It had been a lot of fun and Boruto wasn't sure if he would be around for the next one. His position wouldn't last forever, though he couldn't be sure when it would end. At least not yet.

All too soon they arrived at Sarada's apartment and Boruto got out to walk around and open the door for her. Thankfully she was busy gathering her purse and things so he made it before she opened it herself. He was still smiling as she got out and he closed the door.

"You think those idiots are still at it?" He asked casually as they started walking. Boruto would see to her getting inside before he left her.

Sarada giggled. "The night is still young. And that bar had a pretty big cap of consumables, you know? Who turns down free alcohol?"

"We did." Boruto laughed, budging her arm with his elbow.

She groaned and bumped him back lightly with her elbow. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice. I _really_ don't want to get a hangover again."

"Neither do I." He hummed. "I'm not much of a drinker… I was really struggling that day."

"I noticed," she replied all too quickly, a smirk on her face.

"Right. You told me to have ramen for lunch… and I did. Felt better after that, so you were right." He couldn't believe he admitted that but it just poured out of him. More word vomit. What was his problem?

She gave him a warm smile. "Soup helps to ease the thirst."

Too bad he was thirsty for something much more… lady-like. "Sometimes." He grumbled, annoyed with his train of thought. It wasn't like him.

Sarada chuckled and looked for her keys in her purse. "At least you won't be feeling anything tomorrow. You can enjoy your Saturday."

"Right, I had plans made for me, so I need to be at one hundred percent," Boruto said with a happy sigh just as they reached her apartment. "I hope you'll enjoy yours."

Holding on to her keys, and fumbling to find the right one, she nodded. "Likewise." She looked up at him and smiled. "Oh right," Sarada shrugged off his coat and handed it to him. "Thanks for letting me use this."

"Not at all. You certainly needed it more than I did." He chuckled, taking his coat and laying it over his arm. She opened the door and his blue eyes shifted upwards. He faked a pout and returned his gaze to hers. "Damn, no mistletoe?"

Feeling lost for a moment, Sarada gaped and closed her mouth before replying quietly, "Did you want there to be one?"

"Did you think I wouldn't get you back?" He smirked. "Wait on it."

.

.

.

The weekend was great. Friday night had started it off wonderfully, leaving Boruto in a great mood that never wavered the next day or the next. Even on Monday, Boruto entered Ichiraku Ramen Corp with a bright smile on his face. His hands were full, holdong on to his coffee, breakfast and his laptop case and even though he was early, he was hurrying to his office when he ran across Shikadai.

"Morning, Shikadai!" Boruto greeted him with his usual grin and a nod.

Shikadai smirked. "Someone's looking all fresh and chipper. Where did you go when you ditched the party with Sarada? Konohamaru was looking for you."

"Who with what now?" Boruto coughed, averting his eyes and walking a little faster. No way was he answering anything Sarada related.

Shikadai let him pass, but followed him into his office. Watching him settle his laptop on the table first, and then the coffee. When it was safe, Shikadai closed the door and said, "Boruto, we've been friends since university, and I _know_ you. But let me ask you just once—actually twice…" Boruto was pretending to be busy, setting up his laptop and his pens. "Do you like Sarada?"

The pen holder was knocked over, Boruto's hand accidentally swatting it and making the pens scatter all over his desk and the floor and the holder flung nearly across the office. "Shit. What did you say?"

Taking in his reaction, Shikadai crossed his arms across his chest and leaned on the wall. "Shit. You _do_ like her."

"The fuck you talking about Shikadai?" Boruto scoffed, ears on fire as he scrambled around to collect all the pens. "I don't like anybody and _definitely_ not Sarada. You're cra—what gave you that idea?" It didn't make sense.

His brow arched up and then sighed before putting his hands in his pockets. "See. This is why I said I would ask twice. Do you like Sarada Uchiha?"

"I have no idea who that even is." Boruto squeaked, finally gathering the last pen and setting the holder carefully on his desk. He sat down and rummaged through his drawers for no reason ."I'm sorry, really busy today. Can we catch up later?"

Shikadai laughed and made a move to leave but asked, "So you would rather I bring it up at lunch—you know—in the pantry? Where the girl you've been giving flowers and jewelry to will be at?"

"You wouldn't dare." Boruto glared at him.

"You don't even need to tell me because I already know, but I just want to hear you admit it." Shikadai was laughing so hard he sat down and held on to his stomach.

"You've lost your damn mind. I don't like anybody. As if I have time for liking people!" He rolled his eyes. "Not a chance."

Shikadai sighed loudly. "Always in denial. Alright, alright," he stood up and held on to the door knob but gave Boruto a warning. "If you're not gonna get her, other people just might, bro. But hey," he clicked his tongue and pointed finger guns at him. "No time, right? Lucky for the other dudes, then. See ya!"

"Bastard," Boruto grumbled, his face set in a scowl.

His good mood was dead.

Work didn't seem as if it was going to do anything to brighten the sullenness that had taken over him. With the company being closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas day, there was a lot to take care of before then. Today and tomorrow were all they had so everyone was busy. Many people were taking a vacation as well, leaving more work for others and Konohamaru seemed to think Boruto was the one to pick up their slack. It wasn't his place, but he didn't argue about it. He needed the distraction anyway.

His morning was crappy but productive. Sarada finally came to work, and just when he thought she would be spending the whole day with him, she peeked her head into his office to remind him she was on half-day. "I'll leave after lunch," she said. "Please let me know if there's anything you want me to prioritize."

Their interaction was quick, but he noticed she was wearing the necklace, and that made his mood lighten significantly.

Hard at work, he didn't even hear when Sarada knocked on his door and peeked in again. "I'm heading out for lunch. Do you want anything?" She was already wearing her coat, ready to leave the office.

"Oh. No, that's okay. You go ahead. I'll grab something later." He smiled softly at her, grateful for the offer but not wanted to put her out.

Sarada walked into his office, only holding on to her wallet. "Are you sure? I'll be coming back to finish up before I leave… have you tried Thunder Burger? It just opened and they're having a promo."

"Thunder burger?" Boruto pepped up at the name. Burgers were his absolute favorite, how could he not want to eat from there? "Okay, you sold me. Take my card, I'll pay for everything." He said as he grabbed his wallet and opened it to get his credit card. "Thank you."

"I can't take your card! Do I look like Boruto Uzumaki?" She laughed. "Come with me. We can eat there if we're lucky to get a table."

"Are you sure? You could just pretend to be my wife." He shrugged, smiling smugly.

The tips of her ears reddened and she looked away. "If you don't want to go, then that's fine."

Okay, so he really said that. More word vomit. Or were these his thoughts demanding to be heard? Now he was thinking about Sarada being his wife as if that would ever happen. He mentally chided himself as he closed his wallet and got up. "I'm going." If he didn't, Shikadai might find him again anyway. He needed an escape. Why couldn't the Nara already be on vacation like most of everyone else?

Sarada waited for him to put his coat on and they walked side by side to the elevator, and out the building. The snow was really starting to pile up, and a soft fall came as they walked down the streets. It's wasn't half as busy anymore. There were fewer office workers and more shoppers, doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. Sarada was talking to him about how Chocho kept raving about this new place, and she got curious, wanting to try it for herself.

The line wasn't so long, and they were fortunate enough to find a table. Sarada told Boruto to go sit down, to save their seat, while she got their orders. After choosing a vacant table, Boruto sat down and watched her with interest as always. Could he get enough of looking at this girl? Definitely not. She was gorgeous and just… perfect really. That didn't mean anything though. He couldn't let this stupid crush get the better of him.

Sarada came back with a little flag and set it on its mount at the center of the table. "Have you eaten here before?"

Actually, he has. It was his go-to with his little sister but if this was her first time, he didn't want his opinion to cloud her judgment. He only grinned, and their number was called. Boruto plucked the flag out and went to the counter to get their order. Here he was on another not date with Sarada, a girl he was getting questioned about. Hopefully, Shikadai would forget all about it and let it go because he would never admit to anything anyway.

Returning to their table, Boruto set down the tray and then sat in his seat, mouth watering at the sight of the food. He already knew just how good it was and he couldn't hide his excitement to dig in. "I bought breakfast this morning and forgot to eat it… I'm starving."

"That sounds silly. How could you forget to eat your breakfast?" Sarada chuckled as she unwrapped her burger.

"Uh…" Boruto tried to keep his attention on his own burger, wondering why he'd even admitted that just now. If these words didn't stop, he was going to get himself in trouble. "Just a crazy morning. I was swamped before you got in."

"Oh," Sarada said before she took a big bite. Her dark eyes lit up and she couldn't help but talk, despite her mouth being full. "Wow, this is really good."

"Right?" Boruto grinned before having a bite of his own. Just like heaven in his mouth. His eyes darted to the lady across from him as he decided that she might taste better.

Sarada looked at him and realized he hadn't even taken a bite yet, but he agreed with her. "Wait," she swallowed. "You've eaten here before?"

"Well, yeah. I love burgers. Hima and I were here on opening day." He said with a laugh. "We come here a lot."

"Hima…" She said her name slowly. "Your sister, right?"

"Yes. Hima and Himawari, same girl. Just my sister. She and my mom are the only women in my life. How much more confirmation do you need?"

"I was just clarifying…" Sarada muttered and ate some fries.

"Hima's my girl," Boruto assured her with a smile and at that moment, his phone started ringing. Groaning, he set his burger down and wiped his hands to get it out of his pocket. "A hundred bucks says it's her." He laughed and got his phone, laughing even harder at the confirmation and he showed the screen to Sarada, a picture of his sister smiling brightly showing on the incoming call. "Do you mind? She'll kick my ass if I ignore her."

She grinned and waved him off, before taking another bite of her burger.

"Hima?" Boruto answered with a softer tone than he normally used.

"I thought you weren't going to answer." Himawari huffed. "I need to see what time you're coming over tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Boruto frowned while mentally going over his schedule and his past conversations with her and his mom-and even his dad. "I have work, I never said I was going over tomorrow."

"You're not?" She gasped. He could hear the pout forming.

"I have work." He said again, rolling his eyes. How could she make him feel so guilty when he was doing nothing wrong?

"MOOOOOOM!" She screamed with the phone away from her face, but it was still loud enough to have Boruto moving his phone away from his ear. "Dad's making Boruto work! AGAIN!"

"Himawari, please," Boruto grumbled. "I can't deal with this right now—"

"You can't… deal with me right now? Excuse me?"

"That's not what I meant! I'm sorry. Please, just—"

She hung up.

"Shit."

Sarada watched him as he put his phone down on the table and groan. "More flowers?" She teased.

"You think that will help?" Boruto asked, his brows raised as he looked at her hopefully.

"Maybe the whole flower shop." Sarada laughed. "Why don't you take a leave for the holidays, anyway? No one will be at the office."

Boruto sighed, wishing he could. "Well… I could have, but I took on the time so Dad could be home instead. Hima misses him even more than me… and so does Mom, ya know?" It seemed like the right thing to do. "Okay, lots of flowers and maybe a big teddy bear."

"And this is why everyone thinks you're together."

"What, why?" He asked, genuinely confused. He didn't see what she was seeing.

Sarada waved her hands around her face. "Always taking her calls, giving her flowers and cancelling meetings for a date? I don't know, sir, what do you think?"

"Ah." He supposed guys would do that sort of thing for their girlfriend. For him, it just always happened to be his sister. "Well, she's special and deserves the world. So, people will just have to think what they want. I hate disappointing her so I do my best. It hasn't been easy ever since I moved out and started university. It was hard on both of us and still is, so I should probably work a little late tonight. Go in earlier tomorrow, so I can get off and go see her. That will work, yeah." He grinned at coming to a solution.

Finally picking up his burger to get back to eating, Boruto looked back to Sarada to find her shaking her head at him, a pretty smile on her lips. The rest of their lunch was nice and easy. Before long, Boruto was back at work and Sarada was gone, her vacation starting just as everyone's had. He was busy enough not to think about much outside of his work, though he had taken a moment to place an order with Ino that cost him a pretty penny. He would stop by the supercenter tomorrow on his way to get the flowers and then go see her. She would forgive him again. She always did.

Later that night, as he was wrapping up his work, Boruto's phone pinged and he picked it up, eyes widening when he saw it was a new response to his invitation from Sarada.

Her "Tentative?" status was changed to "Going."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Boruto's relationship status has been cleared up, it looks like we're all good to go, huh? And what is this? Another not date? I'm at the edge of my seat here. Hahaha. Any guesses how the next Not Date will go? teehee.


	9. Christmas Eve NOT Date

Back in her own apartment, Sarada took her heels off and turned the lights on. It was cold, and she turned on the heater, right before sitting down on the couch and crashing. Her heart was still beating so fast. She couldn't believe they actually did that—ditch the Christmas party and spent nearly three hours just talking in Ninbucks. He even asked her—well, forced seems more like the right word—to go and watch the play she had bought tickets for him for.

Putting her on the spot like that… and she couldn't even believe she asked him if he was asking her out on a date! That backfired horribly and Sarada curled into herself on the couch just thinking about it. Her gaze shifted to the shiny bracelet on her wrist, and her other hand came up to hold on to her necklace. The one that he placed on her…

The back of her neck burned, and she let out a little shout of frustration before getting off the couch. Maybe a shower would make her feel better, clear her head and all. She padded over and removed her dress and accessories. Wiping her makeup off before hopping in and letting the hot water wash all of her feelings away.

The next morning, her phone blew up with messages from her colleagues, asking where she went with Boruto and why she left so early. Feeling flustered, she dismissed their teasing and ignored their relentless calling and texting. Thank god most of them weren't even going to work the following week. If she recalled right, it was only her, Boruto, Shikadai and some other people in finance and IT going to wrap things up before the holidays.

It was a quiet weekend for her, and she spent it cleaning out her apartment and packing, preparing to stay at her parents' well until after the new year. Sarada picked up a list of things to do and buy, mostly presents for her parents, grandparents, and her uncles.

And then she remembered…

Sarada picked up her phone and went to her calendar, seeing the invitation for a Christmas Carol, on Christmas Eve, starting at 6 with Boruto.

It was crazy.

Sarada bought the tickets as her final gift for him to watch with his girlfriend. But when he pointed out that he didn't have one, she had never felt so embarrassed in her life. She had to stop listening to Chocho and Inojin's gossiping. It already got her into trouble, and now, staring at the invite didn't know what to think.

She loved the play, and of course, wanted to go. But she would arrive at her parents' at ten in the evening, if not, later. And that would mean Boruto would be back at his house by midnight… it was logistically unsound to go. He lived closer to the theater and taking his sister would make more sense. But he insisted so much, and this confused Sarada.

Not knowing what to do, she called her mother. Sakura always knew what to do.

"Hello?"

"Mama? Are you busy?"

"No, darling, I was just heading out for lunch. What are you up to?"

"I just… wanted to ask… is it okay if I'm late for Christmas dinner? There's this play I got tickets to and I kinda want to watch." Sarada kept her voice low, and careful. She wasn't sure if her mother would be okay with her being late.

"On Christmas Eve?" Sakura asked. "What time will you be here?"

"Maybe around ten?" Sarada grit her teeth. "Maybe the traffic will be light, and I'll get there sooner?"

"Will the train even be open?" Sakura was confused. "Your father and I can fetch you instead…"

"No, no," Sarada sighed. She hoped she wouldn't have to say it but she was left without a choice. "We'll be driving there."

"We?!" The shock was clear in her mother's voice. "Are you bringing someone over?" The excitement was all too clear in Sakura's voice.

It made Sarada panic. "No! Mama, please. I'm watching with Boruto. He'll drive me to your house."

"Your boss?" Sakura gasped. "You're watching the play with him?"

Sarada sighed. Oh, she hated this already. Her mother was going to grill her so hard when she arrived. "He practically… forced me to. Sent me a meeting invite and everything."

"Sarada!" Sakura didn't sound happy at all. "Are you working until Christmas Eve? What is going on? You're supposed to be on vacation, starting Monday, right?"

"I am!" Oh no. If her father heard this, he would be livid. "Mama, please. I'm on leave starting Monday afternoon. I just have some things to wrap up and I'll be staying with you and papa, okay? Please, I'm just asking if you'll be okay with me being late for dinner… I don't want you and papa to wait for me for too long."

"Of course we will be waiting!" Sakura was definitely not happy, but for other reasons. "Darling, we will wait up for you and eat with you. But you go have fun and watch your play, okay? We can talk about it when you get here if you like."

Oh no. Definitely getting grilled. Sarada groaned. "Okay, okay. Please tell papa not to get angry with me."

"Sweetheart we will never get mad at you," Sakura laughed. "Just remember to bring that cake you usually bring. Your uncles are also staying over for Christmas."

"Really?" Sarada grinned. "That's great! Okay, I will. Thank you, mama. I love you!"

"I love you, too. Have fun, darling. I'll see you soon."

Sarada ended the call and felt a lot better. She looked at the invitation again but decided not to respond yet, choosing to tackle cleaning her apartment first and then finish up her errands.

The weekend flew by too fast, and Sarada was scrambling to get to work. She had to finish up her Christmas shopping later and finish up her packing. Taking her coat and earmuffs, Sarada put them on and locked her door, before walking to the train. The snow kept falling, and it made everything look so much prettier. All the shops had Christmas decor out and it really put her in the Christmas mood.

She was a little late, coming in at nearly ten in the morning. Boruto, as usual, was already at work. Sarada quickly knocked on his door and peeked inside, asking if he had anything urgent for her.

He was glaring at his laptop, and for a moment, she wondered if he was hungover. But when he looked at her and his gaze softened, she thought otherwise. Probably just really busy…

After getting her morning coffee, Sarada went to work and remembered there was a new burger restaurant that opened nearby. She had heard of it before but never got to try it. Noticing that Boruto wasn't eating yet, she decided to be nice and ask him if he wanted anything, and lo and behold, they ended up eating together.

It was a good lunch. The food was great and she got to see a side of him that she hadn't yet. He was apparently single and his sister was the girl in question that everyone thought was his girlfriend… remembering how that went down, Sarada felt her embarrassment crawl up and claw at her again.

At least… now she knew he was single, and liked to spoil his sister. It made a lot of sense, seeing how he was as her Santa, being extra was apparently his thing. He spared no dime and didn't care about what people had to say as long as she was happy.

Boruto did make her very happy for the last few weeks. The comments about how the gifts she got seemed like they were more from a secret admirer rather than a Santa floated around her mind as she watched him talk to his sister.

What if… he _liked_ her?

Her cheeks burned and she took a sip from her drink to cool down. Impossible. Boruto's always like this, and when she suggested more flowers to have Hima forgive him, he went on about getting her a teddy bear and even adjusting his entire schedule just to see her.

He was really nice. And Sarada chided herself for even thinking Boruto might like her.

Crazy. That wasn't the case here.

Although a little part of her wished it was.

.

.

.

That evening, Sarada prepared her bags by her door and a few large shopping bags that contained her gifts. She received a text from Boruto saying that he was close, and she replied she was ready.

Sarada put on her coat over her dress. She wore stockings underneath the rich red dress, perfect for watching a Christmas play, and for keeping warm. Ready for that Christmas portrait her uncle took of her and her parents every year, too.

Her doorbell rang, and she opened the door.

Boruto was standing outside, wearing a red button-down and slacks, a black winter coat on top. He was all smiles, and she felt her heart flutter. Looking at him again, she giggled.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"We're matching," Sarada pointed out. "Come in, I'll just grab my bags and we can go."

Boruto stepped inside, looking her over when she wasn't paying attention. "I'll carry them."

Sarada picked one up and handed it to him. "Thanks." She grinned and turned around to pick up the other shopping bags. Taking one last look around, she turned the lights off and they walked out of the apartment.

Following Boruto out to his car felt so surreal. It was Christmas Eve, and she was spending time with him.

Outside of work. Doing nothing work-related. He picked her up and was now carrying her bag into his car and opening the door for her. To watch a play.

And this wasn't a date. Absolutely not.

She hopped in and waited for him to start the car. They talked a bit on the way to the theater, catching up with how they were doing as if they haven't seen each other in weeks… it had only been a few days.

Once they got to the theater, Boruto walked side by side with her, and he presented the tickets before they were ushered to their seats. The theater was surprisingly full, and Sarada blushed to note that most of those watching were couples.

Not that they were a couple or anything. Nothing of the sort. He's her boss, and this wasn't a date. The extra ticket might go to waste and neither of them wanted that.

As the lights dimmed and the curtains were drawn, Sarada felt her excitement bubble. She loved this play, and before it started, she looked at him. Surprised to find he was already looking at her. Sarada blinked, thankful the dark ambiance would hide how red her cheeks were. "Enjoy the play," she whispered.

"I'm sure I will," Boruto said, unsure if he would watch it as much as he'd be watching her.

Sarada turned her attention back to the play, excited to watch. However, she found it hard to concentrate on the play when their knees were brushing, and occasionally, their fingers and arms would, too. It was especially distracting whenever Boruto would lean in to whisper at her ear, his hot breath making the hairs on the back of her neck stand, whenever he would ask her a question or making a comment.

She thought her heart would burst. It was too much. He was sitting so close to her, different parts of their body touching nearly all the time…

When the lights came on for an intermission, Sarada let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding and excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Sarada looked at her reflection and questioned herself so many times why she agreed to come. Her heart wouldn't calm down and her blood was rushing just knowing he was sitting next to her. This was definitely not good for her health. He wasn't good for health. This was so stressful.

The girls in the bathroom were chatting excitedly, one of them commenting about how happy she was how this date was going with her friend.

Date.

Oh no, this wasn't a date. Not for Sarada, at least. Never. She swallowed and retouched her lipstick, trying to delay needing to come back to her chair. But when she heard the bells ringing, she sighed and stuffed her lipstick back in her purse before heading back to her chair.

Boruto watched her every move and wondered how she could capture his attention so easily, so wholly. "Everything okay?" He asked, even though he knew she'd just gone to the bathroom.

"I'm fine," she replied as she sat down, hating how squeaky she sounded. "Hima isn't looking for you yet?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No, I told her I was going on a date and she was so excited she even told me to take my time."

Sarada looked at him and asked, "Sorry, what? I think I heard you say you went on a date?" She did not hear that right. For sure she didn't… this wasn't a date, right? Totally not. But best be clear.

"I meant this date." He answered simply as if he was speaking about the weather or any other thing that didn't mean much.

Her eyes went wide, lips parting, ready to scream, but the lights dimmed and curtains drew open once again. The orchestra started playing and the actors shuffled back on stage.

Sarada learned back so hard on her chair and slumped down a bit. Holy shit. This _was_ a date!

No, no. She shook her head, cheeks burning and heart pounding so loud she swore people around her could hear it. Her mouth felt dry and despite her wearing warm clothes, a cold chill ran down her spine, making her tummy do backflips.

This was a _date_. He _said_ it was a date. But surely he was mistaken.

As much as Sarada tried, she couldn't concentrate on the play anymore. She was looking at the stage, but not processing anything right… she stole peeks up at Boruto, and his cheek was resting on his left palm, leaning towards her as he watched.

Look at this bastard, so calm and just watching the play. How could he be so calm?! She slumped a little lower, not caring that it would ruin her hair, her lower lip jutting out to pout as she stared ahead.

Boruto noticed her sinking lower and whispered close, "you okay?"

" _Peachy_ ," She replied with a huff, crossing her arms tighter.

A date. She didn't even say yes. He never even asked! He demanded she go with him and actually sent her an outlook invitation. She was just kidding but he actually did it!

Sarada huffed again and forced herself to watch until the end. The play finally came to a close, and Boruto was clapping, but she didn't. She couldn't even remember what happened during the second half, because the only thing on her mind was that Boruto said this was a date… when it absolutely wasn't.

.

.

.

After putting her parents' address on the GPS, Sarada stayed quiet, a million things running through her mind. As much as she wanted to enjoy the car ride and the music, she just couldn't. Telling his sister he was out on a date!

"Sarada?" Boruto called to gain her attention. Once she looked at him he smiled sweetly at her. "I really enjoyed the play. Thank you."

She had a small pout on her face. Enjoyed the play? Well, that made one of them. But as soon as she saw his smile, she struggled to stay angry with him. Why did he have to look so cute? It had to be illegal to look that cute.

"I'm glad you did," she replied tightly.

"You didn't?" He asked, face falling the tiniest bit.

She couldn't remember anything that happened after he mentioned he was on a date.

"... I did," she replied. "Just wasn't feeling so good during the second half."

"Oh, you mean after I mentioned the word 'date'?" He asked, smirking as he watched the road ahead of them.

She whipped her head around to face him, eyes narrowing. He was teasing her, he knew what he did. "You did that on purpose."

"No, I really did tell her that," Boruto told her with a chuckle. "But I knew it wasn't a date. Hell, you made me send you an outlook invitation. I'm not stupid."

"Of course it isn't a date!" Sarada huffed. "The outlook invite proves it."

"Exactly. This is… strictly business." Boruto nodded.

"Definitely." Sarada nodded.

Good. Thank god that was clear. She wanted to laugh at herself for getting so worked up when it really was nothing. Why did she have to overthink that way? Now she felt bad she didn't get to enjoy half the time.

The snow kept falling, and there were less cars on the road now. Sarada was thankful they were making good time. She sent a text to her mother that she was on the way, and might get to the house sooner than expected.

The ride was nice, chatting every once in a while, and although Sarada liked his company, she felt elated to see her parents' house come into view. "That's theirs," she pointed to a house by the corner, a red door out upfront. Boruto pulled into the driveway and placed the car in park, before going over to her side to open her door. Sarada hopped out, holding on to his hand for support.

Boruto gathered her bags and walked her up the steps. Sarada dug through her purse to find the keys. While she was searching, Boruto looked around the homey and beautifully decorated porch until his eyes found a mistletoe hanging right in front of the door. Oh, he was one lucky bastard.

Not about to let this chance slip by him, Boruto stepped closer to her and started leaning in. Sarada noticed the proximity and peeked up at him, looking surprised and confused. But she wasn't pulling away. Those red lips were barely an inch away from being his and god he wanted to claim them. Who was he kidding? He wanted to claim all of her. So close. Their breaths mingled and she was so close he could almost feel her.

Then the door pulled open with such abrupt force that it stunned them both.

Boruto almost cursed. The man at the door had to be her father and he did not look happy. Feeling panicked, Boruto's quick wit had his lips aiming elsewhere. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead instead, taking what felt safe. The forehead, safe as it could get. He was definitely safe.

"Thanks again, Sarada. Merry Christmas." He said, smiling at her with that smile again then he looked to Sasuke and nodded politely. "Sir."

Sasuke crossed his arms across his chest. "Drive safe."

Sarada couldn't even say anything, still stunned with what had happened.

"Who was that?" Shisui peeked from behind Sasuke and picked up Sarada's bags. "Kiddo!" He pushed Sasuke away to give her a hug. "You okay?"

Sarada had her hand up, fingers brushing her forehead and her face was burning. "I'm—I'm fine!" She grinned and hugged him back, hiding her face away from her father, and taking a peek at the driveway. Boruto was already driving away, but she could have sworn he was looking at her.

She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, is that Sarada?" Sakura asked.

Sarada couldn't help but smile. A big goofy one, to say the least.

That was… the best not date she had ever had.

She pulled away from her uncle and hugged her mother, wishing her a Merry Christmas, and kissed her father's cheek.

Itachi finally came out from the kitchen, and told them all dinner was ready.

The snow kept falling outside, and Sarada couldn't help but feel that she was falling, too.


	10. Just A Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains mature content, and should you wish to skip it, there will be an xxx marker before and after.

"I'm home!" Boruto called as he stepped inside his parents' home. The sound of Himawari running to him reached his ears as he took his coat off and his shoes.

"Finally!" She giggled as she slid into the hallway and then bolted for him.

Boruto opened his arms just in time to catch her, embracing her strongly though she squeezed him around the neck so hard it nearly strangled him.

"Gah, I'm not that late, don't kill me." He chuckled and she released him, stepping back with sparkling blue eyes. "We're going to have a great night! I already have the movie ready. But hurry dinner!"

"You guys waited on me?" He frowned as she pulled him down the hallway and into the dining room.

"Of course we did." She said, elbowing him in the ribs in a playful manner but with enough force for it to hurt. "It's not often you go on a date. Or ever."

"Hey!" He sulked as he walked over to Hinata who was busy setting the last of dinner on the table. "Hey, mom." He greeted her, kissing her cheek and returning her smile.

"Welcome home, Boruto."

"Boruto made it?" Naruto's voice boomed and a second later he popped into the dining room.

"Yeah, yeah." Boruto rolled his eyes, but he was in a great mood and he was happy to be with his family.

"Himawari said you had a date. On Christmas Eve? With who?" Naruto asked as he sat down.

Boruto gaped at him before scowling at his sister. " _Hima!_ " He mouthed, feeling betrayed. She was all giggles, not caring one bit about his feelings.

Good to know.

"Himawari didn't tell me. Neither did Boruto." Hinata frowned, pearl eyes shifting between her family members.

Why was this his life?

"It wasn't even like that. It was… work-related." Boruto tried to explain, wincing inwardly when Naruto cocked a brow.

"Oh really? How so?" He asked, smiling slyly.

"What?" Boruto froze, realizing his mistake too late. _Shit._ "Well, I meant… the secret Santa… and uh… it wasn't a _date_ date. Totally not a date. Well… a little… shit."

"Boruto!" Hinata swatted him upside the head and he flinched.

"Sorry, mom!" His life was over. He should have called in sick.

Oh, wait. This was home. Not work.

"So, who were you on a work-related date with on Christmas Eve?" Naruto pressed. He wasn't going to let it go.

"There was no date." Boruto sighed, massaging his temples to ease his growing headache. "I went to a play… with a coworker."

"Coworker?" Himawari bounced in her seat excitedly. "Who?"

"Yes, do tell." Naruto mused, grinning cheekily. He leaned his elbow on the table, propping his cheek in his palm.

He'd wait all night if he had to. Boruto knew it. For a moment, he debated whether or not he should be honest. Either way, he was going to get shit.

"Okay, first of all. It wasn't a date. I was with Sarada. She bought me tickets to a play and I had to take somebody." There, it was just that simple. Definitely not a date.

"You could have taken me!" Himawari interjected with a pout.

"What?" Boruto once again realized his mistake too late. "But… well… it's her favorite play. And she bought the tickets. It only felt right to go with her."

"Right." Naruto snickered. "Sarada huh?"

"Is she the one you were telling me about, dear?" Hinata asked Naruto who turned his gaze to her.

"Yes. The one our son is so crazy about."

It had been a bad time to take a sip of his drink because he spit it out in a harsh spray, choking and nose burning. He almost _drowned._ "What the—"

"Boruto is in looove!" Himawari sang excitedly as Hinata finally sat down and everybody started loading their plates with food.

"Well, I suppose it's about time he met a good girl." His mom smiled sweetly.

"No! Just stop! I said it's not like that." Boruto desperately defended himself. "I don't like her or anything… I mean… she's pretty but—wait, that's not what I meant."

If only he could crawl under a rock and die. Then he could be happy.

"Whoa, he's got it bad," Himawari said, eyes narrowing on him, but her sadistic smirk was what scared him most.

"How many times do I have to say that it's _not_ like that!" He groaned, silently rejoicing when they all clasped hands to say thanks for their food.

That wasn't the last he heard of it. After dinner, when he and Himawari were on the couch watching The Grinch while having cookies and milk—as if they had any more room—she brought Sarada up again. Boruto was able to brush her off, though only thanks to the fact that she was falling asleep. He hoped he wouldn't ever be questioned again.

Not by anyone.

There was nothing going on between him and Sarada.

.

.

.

The day after Christmas, Boruto returned to the office but nobody else was there besides his dad and Konohamaru. There was work to do, but most of the day was spent in his dad's office with both of them teasing him about his not date. What a crock of shit. He was so over it already and he was ready for her to come back to work. Why was he the only one getting hounded about their not relationship?

"You sent her an _outlook_ invitation?" Konohamaru hollered, laughing obnoxiously while slapping his hand on the desk and holding his stomach.

"Because it was _not_ a date." Boruto reminded. "And she told me to."

"Pffft." Konohamaru nearly fell out of his seat as he grabbed Boruto by the shoulder and shook him around.

And they were supposed to be working.

Even worse, Naruto was at his desk, feet kicked up as he texted Hinata to have even more people to laugh at Boruto's expense. This was the absolute worst day of his life.

"Oh wait, it's all coming back to me now." Konohamaru continued to laugh. "That's right, that's right. You and Sarada skipped out on the event to have some alone time… then you have a date on Christmas Eve? She's obviously your girlfriend. Buying her flowers and jewelry and so many expensive gifts."

"You did that?" Naruto asked in surprise. "Wow, I thought you only spoiled Himawari like that."

"She was my baby for the secret Santa." Boruto tried to explain but that only excited the two more.

"Your baby, huh?" Konohamaru snickered.

"Not my _baby,_ I meant my Santa baby!"

"Sure." They both mused and Boruto groaned.

"I hate both of you."

.

.

.

When Boruto finally had the peace and comfort of his own office, he was brooding too much to actually work so he scrolled on his phone, on Ninstagram. It was his fingers that found Sarada's page on their own. He didn't want to see what she was up to or anything. He wasn't even thinking about her. Yet here he was, scrolling through and liking everything she'd ever posted.

He was such an idiot.

He would play it off if she ever brought it up.

It came as a surprise whenever he started receiving notifications from her in return. She liked things he posted over Christmas as well and before long, he was sending her a message as if he had any business.

' _Hope your Christmas was great.'_

It shouldn't have been so easy for her to take over every thought he had, but he blamed it on the fact that he'd been constantly nagged about her. It would have been too much for anyone and how could he not think about her when she was all he'd been hearing about?

His phone buzzed and he received a reply from Sarada. Boruto picked it up and read her response.

" _It's been great! And look, papa has a new cat."_ A few seconds later, there was a photo that sent through a black cat nuzzling on Sarada's lap.

Boruto smiled at the sight and if work had been on his mind at all, that was effectively over.

' _Nice legs. The cat's nice too though. Your dad's Christmas gift?'_

' _Again with the legs compliment. Lol. No, dad found him outside and decided to take him in.'_

Boruto laughed to himself and spun around in his chair, his gloom evaporating completely.

' _Well, they're great legs. What do you expect?'_ He replied with a grin.

He seriously needed to get some work done.

.

.

.

Boruto spent the new year with his family, posting a lot of pictures on Ninstagram. For a while, the Sarada questioning had died down which relieved him. Once work was back to normal, he was too busy to be bothered with that nonsense anyway. He would never understand why people thought he liked her. He had done nothing to make anyone think such a thing.

It wasn't long after their workday started that he had to send her an email, needing her to prepare her goals for the new year and discuss her year-end evaluation. He asked for it by the next day and planned for them to discuss it in person once she finished, but Sarada was quick and extra in the most impressive way. Just after lunch, he received an email with her document and she popped her head into his office.

"That was fast." He said, smiling over at her.

She smiled. "I anticipated it."

"Of course." She wasn't one to miss anything. "Come on in."

Sarada walked in, holding on to her own printed copy and handed Boruto his. Much to his surprise, there were already notes on her copy, and she was leading the discussion for her year-end evaluation.

It was impressive. She really knew what she did, explained herself and her strategies, and the grade she gave herself was high. Boruto tried to challenge some of them but Sarada had a comeback to everything. When it came to working, she really knew her stuff.

"Well, everything seems just right," Boruto said as he looked over the paper again and then grinned at her. "With a grade this high and the company doing well, you're in for a big bonus, Sarada."

"It's something that I definitely look forward to receiving," she grinned. "In all seriousness, though, the development I get from this company is what I want more. And I'm happy that I'm always presented with good opportunities."

"We're lucky you have you." He told her, and he _really_ meant it.

This made Sarada smile sweetly, sincerely happy to receive his praise. "Thank you."

"Did you have a good new year?" He asked, hoping she made the most of her vacation as long as she wasn't going on any of those sex dates or anything.

Sarada hummed. "Yes, definitely refreshing. I stayed at my parents and spent a few days with my uncles and grandparents. Watching Ninflix and reading. How about you?"

"That sounds nice." He sighed in relief. She would have mentioned a date if she had one. Wouldn't she? "I was also with my family. It was a little… chaotic." There was no forgetting the interrogation he went through every day.

"Still spoiling your sister, I take it?" Sarada giggled.

"Of course. She's been a very happy girl." He was proud of it too.

"I'm sure she is if she's under your care."

 _Could be the same for you_ , Boruto thought. But wait… what?

"Yeah well, I have my ways." He grumbled as if he wasn't constantly making Himawari upset with him.

Sarada laughed lightly and asked, "I guess that means you've gotten pretty good at it?"

"When I try, it works out." It was only when he wasn't thinking that he got in trouble with her. "And when I fail, I make it up to her no matter what I have to do. She's always putting me to work."

Her eyes softened and she sighed. "You sound like you hopped right out of a romantic comedy. And that writer knows how to get the girls, for sure. Does Hima have a boyfriend?"

"Oh she doesn't need one of _those._ " Boruto scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Sarada laughed again. "I suppose she doesn't because she has you spoiling her. That must be a tough benchmark."

Himawari definitely didn't need anyone else. Any boys after her would have all the wrong intentions and nobody would be good enough. "Exactly. She's not even interested in boys."

"Oh, she likes girls?" Sarada asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

"What?! No!" Boruto snorted but then he had to think. She didn't… did she? "Definitely not."

"Oh, okay…" Sarada looked away, a light dust of pink on her lips as she asked, "How about you? Do you… like girls?"

Boruto nearly choked on the air he breathed in. "What, no… I mean, wait. I didn't mean that of course I do!"

Sarada covered her mouth and snickered, trying to stop the laughing fit she felt coming. Boruto was so red, and he looked panicked to have said the wrong thing. "Okay…" Sarada laughed. "I believe you."

"Well, you should." He huffed. How could she even think otherwise? If he didn't, he wouldn't be so caught up over her.

No, he wasn't caught up over anyone.

But he wasn't gay.

"Well what about _you_ , Sarada?" He turned the question back to her with narrowed eyes. How dare she make him feel like this?

"Do I like girls?" She asked cheekily.

 _Oh my god. She does._ "You don't, right?" He asked, having paled noticeably. That would be just his luck!

She threw her head back and laughed. "Boss, you're looking a little pale." Sarada couldn't help but laugh a little more, much to Boruto's chagrin. "I like boys, don't worry."

"I wasn't worried." Boruto ground out quickly while he thanked the heavens silently. "Just curious."

Sarada gave him a cheeky little grin. "Sure."

 _How infuriating._ "Well, you never know." He shrugged and then smiled when he was reminded of some comment he'd overheard weeks before. It was something he'd ignored completely at the time because it just wasn't possible, but he could use it to his advantage now. "You know some people think you and Sumire have something going on. I didn't want to believe it, but how could I be sure?"

Her eyes visibly widened, the top of her ears a bright red. "It-it isn't like that!" Sarada waved her hands around. "We went to uni together and we're still close, is all…"

"Well, now I know." He smiled. "Though of course, you're probably too focused on your career and your life to worry about dating nonsense." Or was that just him?

Sarada looked at him, calming down and digesting what Boruto had just said. "Yeah, it takes someone really special for me to let them in my life. I don't have time to waste, you know?"

"I couldn't agree more. I need you focused." _On me._

She smiled brightly. "You have my undivided attention."

Just what he wanted—and damn if she didn't have his. He couldn't get enough of her and after missing her during her time off, his blue eyes refused to leave her, even when she had him flustered. She was always dressed impeccably, but it wasn't what made him want to have her clothes out of place.

Or better yet, on the floor.

"You trying to get a raise out of me?" He asked, licking his lips. She was about to.

Her brows lifted but she replied with a sly smile. "A raise or rise?"

He mimicked her expression, only his sly smile was quick to spread into a grin. "Sarada, if I didn't know any better, I would think you were coming on to me."

Sarada leaned back on her chair and crossed her legs, a light laugh escaping her lips. "It's a good thing you know better, then, sir."

Boruto shook his head, knowing that deep down, she wanted him. She just needed to get over herself and admit it already. "Sure." He mused. "Just so you know though, your words and the way your body is talking are not the same."

Sarada smirked. "You sure look at my body a lot, don't you?"

"Well, it's a nice body. And I like girls." He shrugged. It was only natural to look. Still didn't mean he liked her or anything because he definitely didn't.

"Looking is normal…" Sarada mused. "The touching part, though…" She scrunched her nose playfully at him. " _Not really._ "

"I haven't touched you…" _Yet._

Sarada quirked an eyebrow up. "I think you have," she said and pointed a finger in the middle of her forehead. "Right here."

Right, when it was supposed to be her lips instead. "That was a kiss, not a touch and it was too bad your dad caught me." He admitted, wondering if one kiss to those lips could get him lost in her. He imagined she'd taste good and would feel so soft.

Sarada bit her lower lip. "Yeah, Papa wasn't happy about it."

"Really?" If he'd known he'd be upset anyway, he would have just gone for her lips after all.

"Yeah," she waved her hand to dismiss him. "It's okay. He and my uncles will get over it. Mama didn't really mind."

"The mistletoe was there for a reason." It was only natural that he used it as an excuse. Boruto was an opportunist.

"That's exactly what my Mama said," Sarada laughed. "Any excuse to get a kiss." She smiled and shook her head.

"Too bad it wasn't a real kiss." He thought aloud. It would be a long time before he got over it.

Sarada smiled at him and shrugged a shoulder up. "Too bad there will be no more mistletoes around."

"Do we really need one though?" He asked smugly, blue eyes darkening.

Sarada bit her lower lip again, dark eyes glinting. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you're asking me to kiss you."

For once, she didn't know _something_. "What if I am?" He asked, throwing caution to the wind.

She smirked and leaned in close, over his desk to whisper devilishly, "I'll wait for a meeting invitation."

"Alright." He laughed. She wouldn't be waiting for long. "Better get back to work then."

Time flew by when Sarada was around. Without him realizing it, he'd dedicated over an hour of his workday to her which left him behind on his paperwork. Not that he minded, it was well worth it because now he knew.

Sarada _wanted_ him. Whether she admitted it directly or not, she definitely wanted him.

Even though he was itching to send her an invitation because he wouldn't be missing any chances, especially any that she laid out for him, he had to put it off for a while when Konohamaru called him and occupied him for half an hour. It felt like days, the time sitting still unlike it had when he was with Sarada. Boruto had a few things regarding her in mind, so he worked on his paperwork while dealing with Konohamaru who not only called for work. Of course, he would take the time to tease Boruto some more.

" _You must be happy to have your girlfriend back at work."_ He laughed and that was when Boruto hung up.

Not today satan.

After that, he quickly typed up an invitation for Sarada. Just a vague, "Late Meeting" set for seven o'clock. Everyone else would be gone by that time and she would know what he was inviting her for. She was the one who suggested it.

Just as he expected, Sarada accepted the invitation and for the next several hours, Boruto couldn't contain his excitement.

She really did want him and luckily for her, Boruto wanted her too. Just a little bit. Just a taste and he could let it go. Right now, his mind was clouded with a lust for her. It couldn't be helped. Any man would want her too, they just couldn't have her.

Sarada came into his office, looking nervous, but she still came, and that was what mattered. "Just a kiss." Her tone was firm, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.

Boruto smirked and nodded. "Yeah, just a kiss."

What this was, was simple.

They were just a man and a woman with mutual desires. It happened. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it. That was why there was no reason for Boruto to hesitate. They wanted each other so they needed to have each other and move on already.

It's just a _kiss._

A real kiss this time.

She came because she already accepted it would happen, so he didn't mind making the first move at all. Boruto signaled her over with a curl of his index finger and the way her cheeks flushed and those beautiful onyx eyes sparkled in excitement set a fire inside of him. Sarada walked around his desk slowly, giving him plenty of time to admire her for everything she was. Each step was absolutely mesmerizing, hips swaying, heels clanking on the floor. She had a figure to kill and her tight grey pencil skirt and white blouse accentuated her curves beautifully.

"You're right on time." He smiled warmly, keeping his cool on the outside even though on the inside he was consumed with a burning desire for her.

Before she could form a response, Boruto stood from his chair and pulled her flush against him, one arm wrapping around her waist while his other hand raised to remove her glasses. The blush she already struggled with darkened considerably at the movement and he set her glasses on the printer to cradle her cheek with that hand.

No sense in wasting time right?

Sarada was as eager as he was because her lips met his readily, parting perfectly to mould against his and they were just as soft as he imagined them. It was meant to be just that—a simple kiss, but that first touch was all it took for the both of them to snap. Boruto tried to fight it, once he gave her that first full kiss, he tried to pull back. However, once their lips had parted—with them still close enough to be touching—and she sucked in a shaky breath, any shred of restraint he might have had was gone for.

He wasn't the only one though. Sarada met his next kiss with just as much urgency and while he dropped his hand from her face so both arms could wrap around her, hers wound around his neck. They couldn't possibly get any closer and yet the desire to make it happen had him lifting her onto his desk and gliding his hands up and down her sides. Her hold on him was so tight she was damn near pulling him down.

A soft whimper escaped her when his tongue darted between her lips and swiped across her own and she shifted her hips. For just a kiss to have her squirming, Boruto figured she must have really wanted him. He would have been smug about it, but he was too preoccupied for that. Satisfying her would be easy and it would make her confess to him in no time. Of course she would want more.

As their kiss progressed, Boruto's hands wandered down her sides, over her hips and finally along those legs he was so crazy about. So smooth, warm and accepting. Sarada welcomed his touch, shuddering as his fingertips dragged back up her legs and inched under her skirt. Her usually perfect composure had been shattered, the haze of arousal taking over.

Once his fingers brushed the hem of her panties, her hands stopped at his chest. "W-wait," it took her a moment to catch her breath, swallowing before saying, "you said… just a kiss."

"I never said just one kiss though." He hummed before placing one on her cheek and then on her neck.

Sarada shuddered at his touch and moaned once his lips met with her neck, leaning into his touch, silently asking for more. Her hands started wandering again, this time stopping at his collarbone before sliding back down on his chest. The number of clothes he was wearing wasn't fair.

"The shirt stays on." He told her, amused at her obvious need to get it off of him.

She gasped and pulled away, a pout forming on her lips. "I don't want it off," she scoffed. "Stop being so assuming."

"Oh, shame. You probably could have convinced me." He mused and then dragged his lips back up her neck, teeth nipping her gently right beneath her ear.

Sarada tried to reply, but no cohesive words came out of her mouth, fully distracted with what Boruto was doing with his mouth. Her hands came up his chest, stroking his neck before tangling her fingers into his blond locks, pulling him closer to her.

His fingers deftly moved across the hem of her panties, his tongue darting out to trace the shell of her ear. She shivered, a sexy, whimpered moan, and his name, escaping her lips. The sound went straight to his groin, and he backed his hips away to make sure she wouldn't know he was just as affected as she was. He needed to take care of this—take care of her so he could take care of himself.

**xxx**

Boruto was in a daze of his own, intoxicated by her scent, her voice and just everything about her. He needed to feel more… taste more… hear more.

This just wasn't enough.

He kissed her again and she took him by surprise when she took his lip between her teeth, not taking it easy on him. The action had a groan rumbling in his throat and he quickly pushed the papers behind her aside, not caring one bit when they scattered on the floor as he laid her down.

Sarada staggered to get herself up on one arm, slightly panicked. "W-what're you doing?" It was starting to look like that _just kisses_ invitation was a ruse. "Someone—someone might see." Pulling herself back in a seated position, Sarada fumbled around for her glasses, frustration growing when she couldn't find them.

Boruto shook his head fondly and grabbed her glasses, returning them to their rightful place. "Relax, Sarada. I promise you, the only one seeing anything in this room is me and you." He said as he knelt down and lowered his gaze to her legs.

He had been taken with them from the first day he'd met her, so he was more than happy to get his hands on them—and his mouth too. He turned his head to the right, leaning over to lay an open-mouthed kiss to her ankle. Her black heels were almost as hot as she was.

She sucked in a shaky breath, watching him work his way slowly up her leg, getting teasingly close and letting his tongue tease her as he reached her knee, stroking her other leg as he kissed his way up to her inner thigh. Sarada could barely keep her shuddering at bay, biting her lower lip as he climbed higher and stopped right at the hem of her panties.

Oh, she smelled delicious and he wanted nothing more than to ravage her. He'd hiked up her skirt along the way and pushed her legs further apart, taking a moment to suck on her inner thigh while his finger slipped under her panties. She was soaking wet and he was dying to touch her.

Even if she parted her legs willingly, she put a hand out and pushed his shoulder. Before she could even say anything, Boruto smirked.

"I know, I know. Kisses only, right?" A sly smile on his face. He didn't have a problem with that.

Boruto curled his finger to pull her panties aside, revealing her most intimate place to him. He was near drooling as he hooked his arms under her legs and moved his hands to her ass, tugging her to the edge of his desk. Without warning or wasting a beat, he dipped his head down closer, feeling the heat rising from her sex, smelling the sweet scent of her arousal and then finally tasting her by running his tongue between her soaked, clean-shaven lips.

He was so hard it hurt.

Sarada moaned, a little too loud and she stopped herself, but not before she bucked her hips closer to Boruto, wanting more. Her hand came back up to his hair, taking a handful as she whimpered his name yet again. That was more than enough praise to have him giving her just what she wanted.

His tongue slipped between her folds with a purposeful swipe across her clit that had her eyes rolling back and her back arching. She gripped his hair harder and he repeated the process, licking her firmly, starting to move in a circular motion that had her moans becoming more frequent and her breathing erratic. She was so hot for him, swollen and so wet, he could barely keep himself in control, but he had to.

Boruto wanted to hear his name on those lips again and he knew it was just a matter of time. It would mix in with those seductive moans unthinkingly and ultimately drive him even crazier with the desire to make her his in every way possible. It was just too soon for that, even if he didn't want to accept it.

Soon, he added light nips and suckles to her sensitive nub and her hips rocked on his desk, hands pulling him down as if she feared he may stop at any second. She was so worked up, building so rapidly and it was so hot. She had to be the sexiest thing in existence. He trailed his tongue down and she whimpered a protest that ended abruptly when his tongue circled her entrance. His erection throbbed, straining in the confines of his pants with a desperate need to be buried within her.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to handle this much longer, he glided his tongue back up to her pulsing clit. She was so close anyway, he supposed he needed to take pity on both of them. He kissed and sucked until she was moaning without a care in the world and then he started working her with his tongue in slow but precise motions.

Sarada's orgasm approached steadily, her sensitivity growing by the second and soon she was throbbing for him, her entire sex quivering. She choked on his name, losing her voice as she came and Boruto held her tightly around her hips to keep her still, lapping at her faster and stronger as she thrashed and trembled through her blissful climax.

_Did that._

He kissed her sweet spot once she couldn't take anymore, too overstimulated from his tongue and her release. Then he leaned back, licking his lips as he stood, blue eyes admiring her flushed face and hooded eyes. She was breathless and absolutely breathtaking. There was no way for him to hide his erection from her, but he didn't care anymore. How could he not be hard as steel after such a meal?

**xxx**

"You alright?" He smirked, thoroughly pleased with his work.

Still feeling shaky from her high, Sarada couldn't even reply or sass him back. How could she deny she enjoyed that? Even if it irked her how cheeky he was, all she could do was swallow and look at him, eyes wandering down to his pants, seeing how hard he was. It looks like he enjoyed himself, too. "I'm… I'm good."

Of course she was. She was more than good. But she was difficult. "Good." He sighed and pulled his chair over to sit in it. "When you've collected yourself, I'll drive you home."

She nodded, and tried to steady herself, thanking him for the ride. Boruto had a feeling it wasn't the ride home she was thanking him for though.


	11. Brushed Off

After Boruto dropped her off and she was back all alone in her apartment, Sarada wanted to scream. It was all slowly coming back to her, every single pleasurable second and her heart was fluttering just remembering how good he was with his mouth.

Boruto felt so warm against her body, and he smelled so good. His hair was soft to her touch, and she wanted nothing more than to run her fingers through it all day…

The number of clothes he had on wasn't fair, and that cheeky bastard had the nerve to tease her about it.

Her cheeks burned and she covered her face with a throw pillow, actually screaming into it.

God. He was so hot. The image of him kissing her legs and seeing his head between them made the pit of her belly burn with desire again. Why did he have to be so hot?

Sarada groaned. It was embarrassing—embarrassing how eager she was to have him, how much she _wanted_ him. Despite never verbally saying she wanted more, she had moaned his name, _thrice_. She let out an incoherent string of curses, cheeks burning all the more. She would never live that down. Surely.

But god. The way he had his tongue working on her really did a number on Sarada. She even forgot they were in the office and slipped up loud moans a few times. She was far worse than those characters in the raunchy books she would read.

 _Not into office romances_.

What a load of bullshit.

But maybe with Boruto… it would be okay? He was nice, smart, and had been such a… giver.

_Wait, what?_

No, no. She didn't have feelings for him. Never.

What they did in his office, even that conversation beforehand, was definitely breaking all of the rules.

Boruto Uzumaki is her _boss_. The president's _son_.

Shit.

This was not happening. This couldn't have been happening.

What if someone found out and tells HR? What if she would get a sanction or worse—get fired?

The pillow dropped from her face and onto her lap. No one can know. Absolutely no one.

Sarada didn't sleep a wink that night, fighting the urge to call anyone to talk to about this, and stopping herself from texting Boruto to promise her not to tell anyone. She kept thinking about scenarios, long-winded conversations that she might have should someone know, preparing her answer for every single thing the following day. She of all people knew how much people in the office talk, and god, they all wouldn't shut up. Even the tiniest thing could spark a wildfire and Sarada felt like she had just doused herself in gasoline.

Even if most of her thoughts were spiraling into depression and anxiety-inducing territory, Sarada found some reprieve with how soft Boruto was during some of their kisses, how much he loved and spoiled his sister, and couldn't help but wonder how good he would be as a lover, and that he offered her a ride home. Walking her all the way to her door again, making sure she was okay.

Sarada gulped and shifted in her bed, facing the empty right side of it—momentarily imagining it being filled and she closed her eyes tightly.

What was she thinking? She didn't like him. Absolutely not. He was hot, and she was horny. He was willing and flirted with her. A lot. No one was around that late and the stars simply aligned for them to make out.

Besides. Nothing really happened. Kisses only.

He's her boss, friends at best.

Friends kiss too, right? No big deal.

She opened her eyes again and found her bed empty. Sarada sighed and curled up tighter under her blanket.

Tomorrow. She would have to deal with him and clarify that there was _nothing_ going on between them.

.

.

.

The next morning, Sarada was feeling like shit. She had only slept for two hours, and this rendered her getting a double shot, and a larger sized coffee. Even the baristas asked how she was, probably wondering why she got such a huge cup this time. It was out of her norm, but everything was not the same anymore.

Boruto was already in his office, on the phone talking to someone. Sarada thought it might have just been his sister, but his tone was professional and stern. Yikes. It sounded like he was talking about a problem that she hoped she wouldn't have to deal with.

Deciding to put it off, she drank half of her coffee in one go, and once Boruto left his office for a bathroom break, she prepared herself to ambush him as soon as he got back. Once she spotted him entering, she stood from her table and sped walked, looking around for anyone who might see her come in.

Sarada knocked twice and then peeked her head in.

"Boruto?" She asked, her voice coming out like a squeak. God. Just saying his name had her orgasm flashing before her eyes and her cheeks burned. She closed the door behind her and sat on the chair in front of his desk.

"Something wrong?" He asked casually, looking her over for a few seconds before his eyes moved to his laptop.

Her heart fluttered and her anxiety built up again. Where would she even start? "Umm… about last night… I just—I just wanted to make sure we're… okay?" Sarada looked away, fingers rubbing against her knees. "Like, I wanted to ask if… we could not tell anyone?"

"Hm? What are you talking about?" He asked, eyes still on the laptop.

Sarada blinked, confusion swimming in her dark eyes and she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Last night… when you sent me the meeting invitation…" what the fuck. He wasn't even looking at her. How rude.

"What about it?" He pressed as he started typing.

She licked her lips, mouth feeling dry. Did she… dream up the entire thing? "Can you please umm… not tell anyone? You know how people talk and I… I just don't want that."

"There's nothing to tell." He said simply, his typing stopping while he scrolled through something instead. Still not looking at her.

Sarada's lips parted and her face fell. "Right. Okay." Her hands balled into fists on her lap, shaking from her emotions. "I'll get back to work." She said as she stood and walked back to her desk.

Yesterday, Sarada was in a daze. Today, she was too, but for _completely_ different reasons. Boruto had completely shrugged her off and denied everything that had happened. Sure, it was something they both went into without thinking about it but to pretend it never even happened?

Low blow.

Even for him.

Back at her desk, Chocho and Inojin we're chatting loudly about their design for the social media campaign, and then, later on, arguing what color palette to use. Things were getting really loud, and normally Sarada would have already stopped them, but she didn't care. She had no mental or emotional capacity to do so.

Boruto just… denied everything.

Her blood started boiling. How dare he do that. She was so sure she didn't think it up or dream it. Why the hell would she, anyway? It's not like she _liked_ him. Hell no. She _hated_ him. He was the one who came on to her!

More than being angry with Boruto, she was also angry with herself. Letting herself do something so rash and foolish… it was really unlike her. And now he had something on her that could potentially put her career down the drain.

Oh no.

That wasn't happening. That _so_ wasn't happening. It was his fault. All because of his stupid beautiful blue eyes and his even stupider cute smile. Shit. She didn't even like him. Not in the slightest.

Once her anger dissipated, her eyes started to prick with tears…

What was up with all the emotions. Is her period coming or what?

Never had Sarada felt so rejected. So… _used_.

"Saradaaaa!" Chocho whined. "Can you please tell Inojin that this is hot pink and not magenta? I can't believe he's arguing with me about this."

Slowly, she turned to her two colleagues and hurriedly picked up what was left of her coffee and took a long sip. It was cold… as cold as how her heart felt.

Inojin and Chocho waited for her response.

Once she put the cup down she smiled tightly. "Why don't you ask what Boruto thinks? I'm sure he knows with his adoration for the color."

Both of them gave her weird looks.

"How did Boruto get into the conversation?" Chocho asked.

She shook at the mere mention of his name. Sarada stood. "Excuse me." And walked away. She needed to shake this off. All of these emotions were bad and she was afraid she would say something that might give her away.

Her vision was starting to blur, genuinely afraid she wouldn't make it to the bathroom in time before her first tear would fall. But right as she stepped into the lobby, she was hugged from behind by someone, followed by a cheerful greeting.

"Sarada!"

The smell of lavender filled her senses and warmth from the soft hug. Only one person smelled this sweet.

Sarada turned around. "Sumire!" Never has she felt so much relief at seeing a familiar face. They have been emailing each other for work every day and chatting every now and then. But it has been months since they last saw each other.

Sumire hugged her back, laughing and chatting about how they haven't seen each other in so long. When she pulled back, she gasped to see tears in Sarada's eyes. "Hey!" Her smile melted into worry. "Don't cry! Did you miss me that much?" She joked.

All Sarada could do was nod, but happy to see her, and glad Sumire came up with an excuse for her tears. "I'm-I'm just so surprised." Sarada laughed and wiped her tears away. "You didn't even tell me you were coming to the head office!"

Sumire picked up her bags and walked with her back inside, holding on to Sarada's hand with the other. "It was _supposed_ to be a surprise!" She grinned. "I've been so busy in the factory working on that new ramen flavor," she sighed. "But I came by to get the prototype for approval from Naruto."

"Oh…" Sarada wasn't even informed. Usually, for these kinds of approvals, Sarada was at least informed to be an optional attendee for feedback. "I didn't know…"

Sumire tipped her head to the side and dropped her bags on the empty space by Sarada's desk. "Really? Boruto sent the invitation. We have a meeting later. I can forward it to you if you like."

Why that little coffee murderer, purposely leaving her out of something so important!

Sarada harrumphed and replied, "Yes, please do. And we can talk about Naruto's comments after."

"Okay." Sumire opened up her laptop and grabbed a chair, sitting right next to Sarada. "I'll send you an invite to the meeting after, too."

Sarada sighed. It was nice to be with someone she didn't see very often. And it was Sumire, her long-time friend. She leaned on her shoulder. "Can we go for lunch after this? I can't stand to be here right now."

"It's only eleven in the morning," Sumire giggled. "Coffee not enough to wait for another hour?"

"It went cold…"

Sumire stopped typing and looked at her. "You didn't… finish your coffee?"

Sarada could only shake her head. "Can we please?"

She smiled and closed her laptop. "Okay. I have a feeling this is going to be really good."

Sarada scoffed. "Not even. My blood is boiling."

"See, what did I say?" Sumire linked arms with her and dragged her out of the office. "It's gonna be good."

.

.

.

"I hate him!"

"Hate him?" Sumire asked. "I thought you said you two were okay? Sending you flowers and all," she teased.

Sarada scoffed. "As if. He's such a prick. I hate him!" She said, angrily forking her cake and stuffing it in her mouth.

"Woah, easy on the cake. What did it ever do to you?"

She looked up and narrowed her eyes. "You gotta stop or I'll be forking you next."

"Oh," Sumire smiled slyly. "Please do."

"Stop being so gay," Sarada rolled her eyes but giggled as she took another piece of cake.

Sumire giggled and took a piece of cake as well. "Seriously, though. Chocho tells me he seems like he _really_ likes you."

"Lies." Sarada dismissed.

But she went on, undeterred by her grumpiness. "He brings you home often, doesn't he?"

"Doesn't mean a thing."

"Gave you a promotion."

"I deserved it."

"And he is so, _so_ handsome," Sumire smirked.

"Yes." Oh fuck. "I mean, _no_. I mean, it doesn't matter."

"Of course not," Sumire shook her head. "It's not important that he has pretty blue eyes and that smile…"

"Hell no." Sarada dismissed. Even if it was true. Boruto really is hot but he is such a prick. That didn't even out. Not one bit! "He makes me stay late and ruins my dates and gives me even more work."

"Oh, that sucks." Sumire frowned. "And dating? Really?" Her eyes sparkled. "Tell me everything!"

"There's nothing to tell," Sarada rolled her eyes and sighed. "I didn't even get to go out with him because Boruto made me stay late to work… he stayed with me though…" thinking back, there was no reason why he would stay, but he did. Even buying her dinner and driving her home.

"He doesn't sound that evil," Sumire smiled. "Too bad about your date though. Have you at least been getting laid?"

Sarada choked on her cake and coughed violently, turning red. "No. What the hell. We're in public!"

Sumire laughed and took a sip of water. "Judging from how flustered you are, that's a lie. I've been out of town so it isn't _me_ doing _you_. Are you gonna tell me who it is or do I have to guess?"

"Oh my god, stop flirting with me!" The tip of her ears was turning red, cheeks burning. Sumire always did this to her and didn't care who was around. It was no wonder why people in the office thought there was something going on between them. "And no, I haven't. Unfortunately."

Lies. All lies. She had just gotten eaten out in the last twenty-four hours and she could still feel his hands on her thighs. But like hell was she going to say that.

Sumire smiled at her sadly. "I can fix that for you."

"Stop it!"

.

.

.

Later that evening, Sumire invited Chocho out for drinks and despite Sarada trying to escape, the two girls dragged her with them to Ninpub. There was a lady's night promo, after all.

"I'm telling you, Sarada," Chocho pointed her cocktail stirrer at her. "Boruto likes you. No one gives girls jewelry and not like them… or have an agenda, at the very least."

Oh, he did have an agenda. And he already got it from her.

"I don't see it," Sarada denied. "And I hate him."

"See?" Sumire shook Chocho's arm. "She's been saying that all day."

"That's a bunch of lies," Chocho spoke with her mouth full. "Sarada is soft for him. Doesn't even get mad anymore when he cancels meetings."

"What?" Sarada nearly spilled her drink. "That is a lie. I do get mad!"

"Not as mad as you are now," Chocho smirked and turned to Sumire. "You think Boruto likes her?"

"Without a doubt." She grinned. "During the meeting, he couldn't even look at her. But when Sarada stood to excuse herself, he was looking at her legs."

"Oh my god." Sarada put her drink down. "How did you even know?"

"Because I was looking," Sumire stuck her tongue out at her playfully. "But seriously. He's always looking at you when you aren't looking. Kagura touched your arm earlier and he looked like he was going to explode."

"He always does that," Sarada rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter anyway."

Chocho placed her hand on her chin and grinned at Sarada slyly. "Bet you he will confess first. He looks like the type."

"Oooh!" Sumire waved her hands around. "Yes! And maybe say it in a stupid but cute way."

Confess… Boruto would confess first?

A light bulb went off in Sarada's head.

That's it. It was perfect.

If she could get Boruto to fall in love with her and confess first, that would be the best revenge for denying what they did the previous night. And when he did… she would tell him the truth of how she felt.

That she didn't like him, of course. Because she didn't.

This was all going splendidly.

"You think I can get him to fall in love with me?" Sarada asked out of the blue.

The two girls looked at her, eyes wide with surprise.

"Why not?" Sumire shrugged. "I think he already does."

Sarada waved her hand. No, no. He didn't. Not _yet_ , at least.

But that was all going to change.

.

.

.

The next day, Sarada wore her best red dress and didn't bother to bring a blazer. The cut was a little low, but she wore this before and Konohamaru never said a word, so she thought it was still safe to wear. They had an important meeting with Naruto today, to discuss the next license or endorser for this year.

She was prepared like she always was.

Kagemasa was making a comeback, and since most of their consumers were young adults, very much Kagemasa's target audience, she had a strong reason to find why he would fit the bill. Boruto didn't even bother to look at her report, only telling her to give a pitch and he would support whatever she wanted.

Like hell he should. Sarada helped make this company grow last year, and she would outdo herself this year.

When everyone was settled in the room, Sarada prepared her presentation to be flashed on the screen, but Boruto told her to sit down, as he wanted to say a few words, first.

Sarada wasn't happy but sat down anyway. No use in throwing a fit in front of his father. It would be unprofessional of her, too.

"Everyone, I didn't make a presentation, but once I say her name, I know all of you will agree."

 _Her?_ Sarada lifted a brow. Just what was he going on about?

"Ladies and gentlemen, I propose we hire Miss Lily Himeno as our endorser for Ichiraku Ramen this year."

There were whispers that erupted in the room, and Sarada felt the blood drop to her feet. What was that idiot going on about? Lily Himeno? The popstar Idol? Just what did she have to do with ramen?!

Inojin rocked Sarada's chair. "Yo, did you know about this?" He looked just as irritated as she did. Chocho whispering to the girl behind her about this wasn't what they discussed earlier.

"Lily Himeno…" Naruto repeated. "Isn't she expensive?"

"She is, but we can afford it," Boruto grinned. "Besides, she's going on tour this year, and that's roughly two-hundred shows around the world. What better exposure can we ask for?"

They couldn't afford her. No way. Boruto was going to have her cut all of their other marketing plans just to get a contract with her. Sarada was so close to standing up to pull him aside but stopped herself.

 _Please,_ she prayed. Naruto, _please say no._

After a while, Naruto nodded. "That sounds reasonable. Give me the numbers on my desk by tomorrow, and call her agency so we can chat about it more. I'm free on Thursday afternoon, and invite her to dinner."

More whispers, but Sarada wanted to _scream_.


	12. Misplaced Jealousy And Stalkers

For the life of him, Boruto couldn't understand what the hell had happened between him and Sarada in his office that night. Did he know what he was doing? Yes. Did he know why he did it? No. It wasn't his intention—whether he liked her or not, which he didn't, he really just wanted to get the kiss that had been stolen away from him. It was meant to settle things, so he could put it all behind him and move on, but god, he wanted her.

He really and truly had actually dropped on his knees and gone down on her in his office after sending her another invitation. _Just a kiss._ What the hell was he thinking? There was only one explanation, Boruto had finally lost his mind and he needed help. No, he just needed _her._

Wait, no, that was the last thing he needed.

Boruto couldn't sleep that night, he couldn't get her out of his head and even the little sleep he managed was filled with dreams of her.

Now, when he was in his office, all he could see was her. It was horribly distracting and he knew he had to do something to forget. He needed to forget her completely, what happened never happened. It couldn't happen again, he had to focus. This wasn't even about him, but he could risk jeopardizing her when she was going places. She needed to be focused too. Things just got a little out of hand that night, but it was in the past. Somehow, he would manage to contain himself.

She was pissed off and he knew it. Why wouldn't she be? He brushed her off and barely acknowledged her since it happened, it had to be frustrating—maddening even. However, it couldn't be helped. He didn't like her, he didn't want to be with her or anything so he didn't need her taking over his thoughts at all hours of the day and night. No, no more. He was done with that nonsense.

But god, she was beautiful and every time he got the chance, he couldn't help but admire her. The sweet taste of her arousal would never be forgotten, nor would how lovely his name sounded coming from those lips. Lips that he'd kissed. He wanted more. Fuck, why was this his life? He couldn't let her know what she did to him and he felt he was doing a pretty good job at making sure she didn't figure anything out.

.

.

.

His idea or not, Boruto was not looking forward to securing the deal with the new endorser. He'd make it happen, he was more than confident about that, but at the cost of having to deal with this woman? He could only imagine how needy and annoying she would be.

Nothing like Sarada.

Lily Himeno was just what Boruto expected her to be. Even from speaking to her on the phone, he could tell exactly the type of woman she was. Her fame was impressive, the popstar having millions of fans worldwide and it would be advantageous for the company. Boruto knows what he was doing and Naruto knew it too, it was why Boruto got his way almost always because he was always right.

The woman was friendlier than he would have thought though, a little flirty even. Boruto wasn't looking forward to the dinner or dealing with her, but he would seal the deal no matter what.

Those attending the dinner would include his team, his father and Konohamaru. A lot of planning went into this dinner and Boruto was forced to talk to the pop star for half an hour about her likes and dislikes when it came to food, atmosphere and everything else in the world. He already knew she was going to annoy him, he was already frustrated on the drive over to the restaurant. Most people would be happy to meet a celebrity, not him though. He wanted nothing to do with her.

They'd secured plenty of privacy in the restaurant so they could eat and handle their business in peace. Boruto and Naruto were the firsts to arrive and the older Uzumaki was easily able to pick up on Boruto's lack of enthusiasm.

"This is your deal, son. You better not blow it." Naruto said warningly and Boruto sighed.

"Don't worry." By the time the guest of honor arrived, he would be all smiles.

Everybody except Lily was on time, which didn't settle well with Boruto. What was she trying to do—be fashionably late? It was such a pain. While they waited, Boruto made certain his team members were prepared for any questions, but they were always a prepared bunch, even if they liked to gossip.

When the pop star arrived, she made a showy entrance. Everyone's attention turned to her and Boruto wasn't surprised to see her dressed as flashy as she was in any photo he'd seen of her. She liked frilly, cute dresses, boots, and bright colors. He could admit she was strangely adorable but so annoying that it was hard to see if she was talking. Her short blond hair fit her well and her eyes flitted through those at the table, namely the men before she grinned at Boruto.

"You must be Boruto," she giggled, extending her hand. Her assistants were well behind her, as well as her manager. The manager came up to Naruto and Konohamaru, shaking hands and then with the rest of the team.

Lily didn't even bother. She only smiled at Konohamaru and winked at Naruto before taking a seat, a little too close to Boruto. She really didn't need to lean in his direction, but even subtly trying to brush her aside didn't work. Boruto was in for one big pain in the ass night.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Miss Himeno." He smiled his best smile at her, no matter how difficult it was. On the outside, nobody would know how badly he was hating this moment.

The girl giggled and smiled, "Call me Lily, please. I was so excited when my manager told me about this offer! I _love_ Ichiraku Ramen!"

Boruto chuckled lightly to play along and make her happy. "Okay, Lily. I'm glad to hear it. I'm confident you'll be pleased with our offer."

For some reason, Boruto was sure Sarada was glaring at him from across the table. Was she really bringing her anger with her to such an important meeting now? He would have to scold her later for it. Everybody needed to be on their best behavior.

"Oh, I can't wait to hear it." She beamed, leaning over until her arm was pressed against his and her big eyes were sparkling as they stared into his. "You almost had me convinced on the phone."

"Is that right?" Boruto hummed, smiling in spite of the headache coming on strong. He just had to be patient and play nice. He would reel her in, easy. "Do I even need to elaborate, or are you just going to say yes?" He asked, keeping his blue eyes locked on hers even though he was inwardly cringing. He didn't like the hearts in her eyes. She wasn't Sarada.

"My manager will deal with the details, but I'm more than onboard. I'm excited about this ride! Where do I sign?"

Oh, he was one lucky bastard. Once she signed, it would be smooth sailing and he wouldn't have to kiss her ass. He opened his briefcase and pulled out the stack of papers that consisted of the contract. There were still many points he had to address to Lily and her manager before he could allow her to sign and he went over them as they ordered food and while they waited for it. Before their entrees arrived, Boruto laid the contract on the table in front of her and pulled his pen out of the inside chest pocket of his suit jacket.

"If you're still willing to work with us, sign here." He said, smiling sweetly as she accepted the sunflower pen Himawari had gifted him as a congratulatory gift for his new position.

Taking the pen, her eyes sparkled. "What a cute pen!" She studied it for a while before eyeing him. "You wouldn't happen to have a girlfriend, would you?"

"No, our boss is single," Sarada smiled.

"Oh, goodie!" Lily's good mood came back in a hitch and she signed her name where the orange highlights were at. "And it's done!" She then looked at Boruto, "When is the _formal_ signing, though? I would love to have dinner with you again."

"Give us a couple of weeks to get everything prepared and I'll contact your manager with the date," Boruto said, still smiling and feigning a calm, happy demeanor.

He was not losing his mind over Sarada's comment.

"You can call me," she batted her pretty big eyes at him. "Two weeks is so long, though," she pouted. "Can we meet sooner?"

Boruto looked at his team for help. Chocho and Inojin were too distracted with their food, and Sarada was watching them with an impassive look on her face. "I can make it happen."

Of course, she could. But it doesn't mean she _had_ to.

Boruto almost lost his composure. "Right, we will get together as soon as possible." He assured Lily, patting her hand that played with his pen. He'd be damned if she tried to steal it.

Sarada grinned and went back to her food, not saying another word. On the other side of the table, it looked like Konohamaru, Naruto, and the manager was having a great time, all smiles and laughter. On the other side, Inojin and Chocho were speaking with her assistants, probably getting gossip out of them.

Across him, Sarada looked up and he could have sworn they were narrowed in on her hand on his arm, slowly stroking up and down as she talked, all cutesy like. Boruto took the opportunity to swipe his pen back, though slowly, using a gentle touch that wouldn't offend her and hopefully wouldn't make her any clingier. He sighed in relief once his pen was safely tucked back into his pocket and then collected the contract to put it away.

Despite taking his pen back, it didn't stop Lily from clinging on some more, not even touching her food or minding anyone else. When her face came a little too close to his neck (because of that damned height difference), Sarada snapped.

"Do you mind? There are other people at this table." Although her voice was low, the lethal warning definitely cut through.

A warning that the pop star did not appreciate, at all. "Excuse me, who are you again?"

Sarada introduced herself, but Lily did not care. "Whatever, I meant, who _are_ you? Let me guess, one of those modern girls who say they care about their career too much to even think about what they wear?" She giggled. "And tell people they're too busy to date."

The table hushed, and Sarada only looked at her, an impassive look on her face. "Perhaps." So calm, not a hitch in her voice. No trace of offense or anger.

Though that wasn't exactly the case with Boruto… He was pissed that the pop star had taken a shot at his girl. Well, not _his_ girl, but Sarada. He'd never been more offended, but he knew he couldn't exactly rip the blond's head off. No matter how much he wanted to.

"Now, ladies, let's not get hasty here." He said, clearing his throat. He wanted so badly to haul Sarada's ass out of the restaurant and escape with her. That just wasn't possible though. "I think you've got each other all wrong, and we're trying to have a good time here, aren't we?" Boruto winked at Sarada across the table before smiling at Lily, difficult as it was.

Sarada, unbelievingly, did not roll her eyes. Face still stoic, despite the gaping faces of her colleagues. Naruto was quick to salvage the situation, and turn the attention to himself and other projects he wanted to have with the pop star. Lily automatically gave him her attention and was back to being all smiles when Konohamaru complimented her dress.

Crisis averted, all thanks to Boruto's quick wit and that charming smile.

His suffering continued throughout the course of dinner and Boruto was admittingly exhausted by the time it was over. His arm had been occupied by Lily nearly the entire evening and he was even forced to walk her out. He couldn't exactly refuse her of something so simple, he still had to stay on her good side. She was way too touchy, even hugging Boruto as if she had every right before he finally got rid of her.

Before he could stop himself, he was jogging over to Sarada who was just waving off her friends. No doubt she planned to take the train home, which he hated. He was tired of her avoiding him too.

Only he could do that.

"Sarada," he called as he finally made it over to her.

She didn't even turn around, only kept walking.

_Difficult as always._

"Sarada, don't just ignore me. I'm sorry, okay?" Wait, what was he even sorry for? He hadn't done anything wrong.

Still nothing, she kept on walking, as if she didn't hear anything.

"Please just wait and talk to me for a minute." He groaned, hot on her heels. When she continued to ignore him, he grabbed her by the wrist and tugged, forcing her to turn and face him. She screeched, forming a fist that aimed fast and strong towards his face and he barely caught the punch, saving himself.

Shit. She was strong.

Her eyes faltered a bit, upon recognizing who her attacker was, but it settled into a cool kind of rage. She pulled her earphones off and asked him bluntly, "What?"

Wow. Not even an apology… or an explanation.

"What? What do you mean _what?_ You have no reason to ignore me when I'm talking to you."

The cool composure she had all night disappeared. Her face contorting in fury. "What do you _mean_ I have no reason to ignore you?!" She burst out, and for a moment, Boruto thought she might just punch him again. With more intention this time. She went on saying incoherent things, and all Boruto could hear were curses. She turned around and sighed. Turning to face him over her shoulder. "You're infuriating. But you're right. Nothing happened." She scoffed. "You're so sensitive. I'm not even ignoring you." She lifted her earphones up again, to reiterate her point.

"Okay, well I thought you were ignoring me." He huffed. "We need to talk, come with me. I'll take you home."

"I want to walk," she turned her back on him yet again and began to walk away.

"So fucking difficult." He whispered under his breath, grabbing her by the wrist once more. "Let me give you a ride."

Sarada wrenched herself free from his grasp, glaring daggers at him. "What the hell is your problem?"

" _My_ problem?" He scoffed. "You were the one in there snapping at the woman who will be representing our company around the whole damn world this year." It was so unlike her. "Why? Why did you do that?"

She gave him a disgusted look. "Yeah, she's representing the company for a year, but you will be representing it for maybe even longer," she spat out. "Seriously, letting her face be up your neck like that? It's indecent and her crew was there."

What the hell did she expect him to do? He was only making sure to keep the pop star happy because they _needed_ her.

Then it dawned on him.

Boruto snorted, calling instantly as all the puzzles pieces themselves together. It made perfect sense why she acted so out of character like that—losing her composure.

"Don't tell me you were jealous." He tried not to grin, but it was hard not to because it was _that_ obvious.

She turned her face away and crossed her arms across her chest. "I was not. I have no reason to."

What a load of bull shit.

"You sure about that?" Boruto asked smugly as he leaned close to her until their faces were mere inches apart and his eyes were narrowed slyly. "You just couldn't stand it, could you?"

Sarada refused to look at him, chewing on her lower lip until she heard his last line. Dark eyes met his blue ones squarely. "Stand what?" She asked innocently. "Nothing happened, right?"

"What do you mean, nothing happened? When? With Lily?" He frowned, not understanding.

Her fury ran cold and a flash of hurt ran across her face before steeling back to the same stoic expression she had on all night. "There's nothing to talk about, _sir_." taking a few steps back, Sarada turned on her heel and began walking away again.

Boruto sighed, pouting as he looked back at his car. They could have been halfway to her apartment by now, but he knew he fucked up and he needed to make things right, so he got over himself and followed her closely.

She didn't say anything about him tagging along and Boruto was too busy trying to get his thoughts together to speak yet. One wrong word and she'd be even angrier which wouldn't be good. They needed to be at ease with each other. For work. Just for work.

They reached the station before Boruto had a chance to make a plan that had a chance of actually working in his favor and he frowned. Sarada was getting her ticket and Boruto had never been on a train before. He didn't know what to do, so he stepped closer, peering over her shoulder because he hoped he wouldn't have to ask for help.

"Excuse me, do you need anything, or are you following me?" That line meant to sound snappy, but she was smiling a small smile, as she noticed he was looking a little… lost.

Boruto smiled too, feeling much lighter as he remembered the first day they'd met—when she'd said the exact same thing to him. This time though, his answer wasn't the same. "I'm following you. I also could use some help. I've uh… never been on the train before."

A bunch of people behind them complained as they were blocking the way to the entrance. Sarada held on to the crook of his elbow and pulled him aside to a ticketing machine, a smirk on her face. "Is it normal for rich boys to not know how to take the train?" Her mood was significantly lighter now, even teasing him.

"I can't say for sure. For me though, cars are better. This whole thing is sketchy." What was he even doing? Following her… _why?_

She lifted a brow and directed him to the screen, explaining how to use the machine. "Since you're on Fifth, you should go down on Six."

"I said I was following you, remember?" He mused. "I wanted to take you home, but you turned me down… so here we are." He had to go back for his car after too.

Pressing a button on the screen, Boruto made sure to take note. Surprisingly, her station was on the same street as hers. Once the machine processed the ticket, she handed it to him. "You know, this isn't what my Papa told me to do to stalkers."

"I would hope if I actually were a stalker, you wouldn't be letting me follow you home." He laughed. "But your father is a wise man. I'm sure he would agree that it's safer for me to drive you home on nights like this." Or every night for that matter.

Sarada snickered. "That punch would have been followed with a kick if you were." She led the way back to the train's entrance, with Boruto following right behind her.

"That's quite an arm you've got on you. It makes me feel a little better, but I'm still gonna drive you." Every night, even if he had to drag her ass out kicking and screaming. Tonight was the only exception. This whole place was suspicious.

Sarada rolled her eyes, that small smile still on her face. They waited for the train and when the doors opened, Boruto was surprised to find it full of people. He was going to suggest they wait for the next, but Sarada already had one foot in, and miraculously, people made way for her to waddle over to the middle portion of the train. Good thing she was tiny, but it wasn't the same case for Boruto. He brushed bodies with people. And it wasn't just his shoulders, but his chest, back, even his thighs.

It was cramped.

Knowing that Sarada had this much physical contact with both men and women on a daily basis irked him even more. She didn't seem to mind at all, though. Even if she was in a dress and heels.

"This is disgusting. Absolutely outrageous. Won't be happening again." He muttered more to himself than to her, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. This was just way too much.

She giggled. "Stop being such a baby," she held on the pole next to her. "It's not that bad. And hold on to something before you fall over."

Boruto huffed but didn't have a problem wrapping his arms around her waist. He wasn't about to be touching anything else.

Before Sarada could protest, the train moved forward, and they both nearly lost their balance, but she kept them steady. Everyone else on the train seemed too used to it. The man next to Boruto looked a little annoyed when he bumped into him when the train started.

Boruto gritted his teeth and held onto Sarada a little tighter. "How do you stand this?"

"It's not that bad," Sarada laughed quietly. "Stop complaining. Taking the train is a lot faster than getting stuck in traffic at night."

"All this touching is okay with you, but earlier…" oh, she was jealous as fuck. "From now on, you ride with me. Always. I could pick you up in the mornings too."

She scoffed. "That's not necessary. I take a cab in the morning. I only take the train at night."

"I still wouldn't mind driving you." He smiled sweetly, unable to pry his eyes away from her. God, having her this close just did so many things to him. She smelled so good, felt so warm. "It might be fun."

"Wow," she looked at him with a wide smile on her face. "You just can't stand to be away from me, huh?"

 _Not even a little._ "Don't get ahead of yourself." He mused, ignoring the way his left brow twitched at how spot-on she was. "I'm just being a gentleman."

"Sure you are," she giggled. As they reached their stop, Sarada led the way out of the train, again squishing and rubbing bodies everywhere.

As soon as they were free, Boruto felt as if he could finally breathe and he took Sarada's hand in his. "I'll never do it again." He said, really hoping she wouldn't either.

Sarada looked at their laced fingers but didn't say a word. They walked together out of the station, and all the way up to her apartment. It was dark out, with only the streetlights illuminating their way.

Definitely sketchy.

Finally, when they were at her door, she looked at their hands again. "Can I have my hand back, now?" A teasing smile on her face.

"Sure," he smiled and released her hand slowly. "If it really bothered you, you could have just pulled away though."

She looked away from his direction, muttering, "If I pulled away you might get lost again…"

Right. And no other reason why she didn't let go. Totally none at all.

"Sure." He laughed quietly and shoved his hands in his pockets. "So, are you still mad or do you forgive me?"

Her pointed gaze met his again. "I still am." but softly she added, "Not as much…" She opened her doorknob but pointed a finger at him. "I still am _so_ angry with you… Thank you for taking me home. Good night."

"Good night, Sarada," Boruto said, a fine and sincere smile on his face, even after she'd hurried in and slammed the door.

Damn, she was hot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of our favorite chapters to write! Boruto is so in love with Sarada but he doesn't even know it. Sarada, on the other hand, has a severe case of jealousy. Hahaha! Lily calling Sarada out was uncalled for, don't you think?
> 
> Any guesses for how much longer these two idiots can take? Who do you think will give in and confess first? Let us know by telling us in the reviews!


	13. Sick Days Are Not Dates

She hated him. Even after he followed her around like a lost puppy on the train, she still hated him. Well, maybe a little less, but hated him still, nonetheless. He was so infuriating. Flirting with that popstar, and letting her have her hands on him all the time. And they were in _public!_

Boruto even accused her of being jealous. Ridiculous.

Why the hell would she be jealous? It's not like she liked him or anything.

Nu uh. Nothing of the sort.

She was just thankful there was no one around to hear them shouting. That would surely get Konohamaru's attention and the last thing she wanted was to be filed for insubordination.

The next morning, Sarada came to work a little earlier than usual and even got her coffee before coming in. She got there even before Boruto did, which was a surprise. Even he looked surprised to see her. For a moment, she thought he was going to come over to her desk, but someone got there before he did.

"Good morning, Sarada,"

Looking even fresher than a daisy, Kagura took Inojin's chair and rolled it over to her, and sat down, knees lightly brushing. "Happy New Year!"

She blinked but couldn't help but grin. He was a few weeks late, but better late than never. "Happy New Year… come to think of it, I haven't seen you in a while."

Kagura laughed and it sounded melodious. This guy really was like a prince right out of a fairytale… He was handsome, too. "I came by because I wanted to give you these," he held up two purple cards. "I remembered you said you used to practice yoga, and well, a friend of mine opened up a studio nearby. I was hoping you'd want to come with me."

"Oh, wow." Yoga… it certainly had been a while. She used to practice when she was younger whenever her parents would in the morning and would go to a studio during her university days but now… she really hadn't had the time. But the opportunity was right here in front of her, and it would be a waste to turn it down. "Sure, I'd love to go with you."

Kagura grinned so wide, flashing a perfect set of white teeth. "Awesome! Let's go tomorrow. Do you want to go before or after work?" He was so excited, and it was rubbing off on her. "Or maybe both?"

Sarada laughed. He looked so cute when he was excited. "Maybe after work? We can go to work together if we go in the morning, though…" What was a better option? If she woke up earlier and went before coming in to the office, it could be better for her body, and let her sleep earlier, too… "What do you prefer?"

"Any!" Kagura beamed. "As long as I get to go with you."

That last line got her ears burning up. It was easy to see why Kagura was the office crush, especially when he was sitting this close to her.

"Sarada," Boruto called from where he stood in front of his office. "A word. Now." He didn't sound happy and she was pretty sure he rolled his eyes before he disappeared behind his door.

She perked up and raised a brow. "What's got him so pissy?" She muttered.

Kagura also looked towards Boruto's office but waved his hand. "Probably just not in the morning mood. Anyway," he placed a hand on hers, the one holding on to her Yoga pass, "Just text me, yeah? Or we can have lunch together and talk about the schedules. That's good for a week."

Her breath hitched at his sudden touch and all she could do was nod. He grinned at her again and left her sitting there, still in a slight daze.

Damn that man… He seriously had a different aura.

Shaking her head, she got up from her chair and started walking towards Boruto's office, completely forgetting that she was still holding on to the yoga pass. "You called?" She stood right at his door frame, not bothering to take a step in.

"Forget it." He snapped, sending a sharp glare her way before turning his eyes to his laptop.

Her jaw slacked, utterly confused but turned around and left, anyway. That was weird. She looked at her watch and it was still too early for anything bad to ruin his day.

To her surprise, Chocho was setting her things down on her desk when she was back. And she excitedly told her colleague about the yoga passes Kagura got them.

"Well, isn't that nice of him?" Chocho smiled smugly. "Gotta pull out those yoga pants and sports bras, huh?"

Sarada laughed and elbowed her. "Oh come on. You used to do yoga, right? Why don't you come?"

"Pilates, girl." Chocho rolled her eyes. "But yeah," She reached for the passes and read it before smirking. "He really set you up, though. You get a pass free if you bring a friend, and only if you bring a friend. Looks like you two will be spending a lot of time together, huh?"

It was Sarada's turn to roll her eyes. "Stop teasing. Kagura isn't like that."

"Isn't like what?" Inojin came in with a huge cup of iced-coffee in his hands. "What're you two talking about?"

"Kagura asked Sarada out on a date, for a week!" Chocho spun the tale around so easily. She obviously had a lot of practice.

"Well, shit," Inojin laughed. "The Prince finally making his move? Took long enough."

"Guys!" Sarada blushed. "It's just yoga."

" _Before or after work?_ " Chocho quoted him. "What's he talking about, stretching or sex?"

"Chocho!" Sarada's cheeks burned bright red. "He isn't _like_ that!"

Inojin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You gotta accept that guys want—usually—only one thing."

"And I supposed you fit into the picture, too?" Sarada quipped.

Inojin shrugged one shoulder up. "If she's cute enough, why not?"

"I can't believe you!" Sarada laughed, throwing a crumpled up tissue at him. "One of these days, you are going to meet a girl that you will fall in love with, and you will _eat your words._ "

Inojin snickered. "Oh, I'll be eating," He put his cup down and flicked his tongue out at her, in a slow, licking motion. "But it won't be my words."

Chocho screeched at the sight and hit his shoulder with the back of her hand. "I'm filing sexual harassment, you pervert."

Inojin was hollering. "As if, Chubbs. You know Konohamaru won't even take that shit seriously. He's a perv himself."

"Yeah, yeah," Chocho waved him off, and he kept on teasing her.

Sarada laughed and shook her head as she started her laptop up, only listening to half of their conversation. She had a lot of work to do today, and she was going to get it all done.

The first half of the day breezed by, only stopping to look away from her screen when Chocho nudged her that she had a visitor.

Kagura was back, and grinning at her. "Ready for lunch?" He asked, holding up his lunch box.

Sarada blinked and returned his smile, sit down for a bit, I'll just send this email."

"Okie dokie," he replied and leaned on Sarada's desk. Her elbow brushing his hip whenever she would type. Kagura didn't even flinch, talking to Chocho and Inojin about how the shelves in their trade accounts were looking and his progress with getting the burger ramen listed.

Once Sarada hit send, she stood up and picked up her lunch box, inviting Chocho and Inojin to join, but those two sly fuckers decided to hang back, telling them to go ahead.

Those two were too eager to sell her away to anyone. She could have sworn they would sell her to satan for a corn chip if it meant her getting laid, too. They meant well… in their own ways…

The pantry wasn't full yet, but it wouldn't take long until people filled in. Kagura was punctual, picking her up at exactly noon from her desk. Sarada heated her food as Kagura took his cup from the shelves.

It wasn't long until Shikadai came and took the seat next to Kagura. And when Sarada's food was finished, she transferred it on a plate and took a seat. Someone sat right next to her. No surprise who it was.

Boruto's mood seemed just as sour as it had that morning, even the way he unwrapped his sandwich was aggressive.

Sarada looked at him, and then his lunch. "Looks good. What's in it?"

Kagura and Shikadai started talking to each other, commenting about the outlook for the month.

"Hey, Boruto," Kagura grinned at him. "How were your holidays?"

Boruto looked over at Kagura and as if every ounce of his frustration evaporated, he smiled. "Lovely. And yours?"

"Wonderful," Kagura smiled. "Happy to be back, though. I missed work."

Sarada snickered. Ever the workaholic, even if he didn't seem like it. Kagura never made work look like work. "I wish I could say the same," Sarada sighed.

"Same," Shikadai snorted. "Wish I had your motivation, bro."

Kagura only grinned. And returned his attention to Sarada as he picked up his utensils. "Have you decided yet? Morning or evening?"

"Maybe a bit of both? We're going everyday, right?"

"That would be great!"

"Wait, what's this?" Shikadai asked. "Don't tell me if it's R-rated, though."

Boruto dropped his sandwich and scowled at it. So much for his appetite.

Sarada looked at Boruto and then waved Shikadai off. "It's yoga. Stop it."

"Ah," Shikadai nodded. "Okay, fair." He then looked at Boruto, and gave him a smug smile. "Cute, aren't they, Boruto?"

"Mm. Sickeningly." Boruto agreed with a tight smile.

Sarada side eyed him, but didn't say a word, choosing to go on eating. Kagura was better at avoiding being teased. Almost everyone in the office had had a crush on him, and he knew how to brush these things off. But Sarada choked on her salmon when he replied.

"Thanks, I hope it goes well with us."

_Excuse me, what?_

"What?" Sarada looked at him.

"What?" Shikadai dropped his chopsticks.

"What the _fuck_ ," Boruto glared.

Kagura only gave them a Prince-like smile and went on eating his food, but gave Sarada a wink.

.

.

.

That lunch period was…

Weird.

Awkward. To say the very least.

Kagura asking her out to different activities and having lunch together wasn't something new but to reply to being teased that way? Totally new.

Not that Sarada hated it… but she wasn't so sure if she liked it, too. And the way Boruto reacted…

He was definitely jealous.

Sarada celebrated internally. It looked like making Boruto fall in love and confess to her didn't look like an impossibility anymore.

He did follow her home and suffered that train ride with her. It wasn't even so bad to begin with but he made it look like it was the most horrible thing ever. She caught herself smiling.

What? No, no. Bad. Can't go thinking about him and smiling. That's stupid. She didn't like him, or find him _adorable_. Like a lost little puppy following her around, not knowing what to do when she had a ticket and he didn't.

Even if he hated it, he still powered through, and even did it again to get his car. Sarada laughed at the horrible texts he sent her, whining about how cramped it was and how she wasn't there for him to hold on to.

It was usually hot and cramped and Sarada hated it when people would invade her bubble. But having Boruto's arm around her waist and him leaning into her whenever the train would stop, or anyone would even look her way in general made her feel safe, and he smelled so, _so_ good. He never let his hold on her go, too.

Hold… He was holding her hand the entire walk from the station to her front door.

Sarada felt hot all over. Well, she got eaten out before they even held hands. Go figure.

She rubbed her hands on her knee, feeling warm and fuzzy. It was cold that night, but his hand kept hers warm the entire time.

Sarada looked to her side, pulling her out of her thoughts. Chocho and Inojin were already packing up.

Wait what? What time was it? "Where are you going?"

"Girl," Chocho gave her a look. "It's half past six. Aren't you going home?"

"Home?" What? How could the time fly by so fast. She was just thinking of Boruto and next thing she knew it was time to go home?

Inojin waved his hand in front of her face. "Earth to Sarada. Maybe it's time you do go home. You're acting funny."

"Want me to take you home?" Chocho offered.

"Oh, no." Sarada smiled. "I'm fine. You go ahead. I'll pack up. Maybe I am just tired."

"Okay, see ya." Inojin waved and led the way, Chocho following close behind him.

Sarada sighed. What happened to her? She looked at her screen and there were some new emails she didn't even remember receiving. Had she been day dreaming the entire time? What was wrong with her?

Deciding it was better to sleep than to force any more work out of her, she closed her laptop and gathered her belongings, thoughts still drifting to and from Boruto, like how the waves crashed and pulled from the shore. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get him out of her head.

She pulled out her phone, and started checking her phone, missed some calls from her mom and suppliers, even a bunch of texts from her dad. And a calendar invitation for yoga from Kagura, early the next morning. With a reminder to bring extra clothes, and that he'll be around to fetch her in the morning.

"Are you ready?"

Sarada yelped and dropped her phone on her desk. Looking up at him, with wide, and shocked eyes. "Boruto, oh my god. I didn't even hear you."

"Of course you didn't." He mumbled, averting his eyes. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

The response on her tongue was a no, but when she finally spoke, "Okay, let's," slipped out. No hesitation. No stuttering.

What the fuck.

"I mean—" she shook her head. "That's not what I was going to say."

"Well, it was the right thing to say. Don't get difficult. Let's get out of here."

A loud sigh escaped her lips, but he was right. There was no point arguing. She was out of it today, and commuting all alone wasn't a good idea if she wasn't alert enough. "Okay…" She trailed behind him, watching him walk silently to the elevator.

Odd. Usually he would be chatting up a storm right now.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" He nearly growled, blue eyes locking on hers with an intensity that was smoldering, which was saying something considering it was only a fleeting look over his shoulder.

Okay. What was with that attitude? If he was going to be this grumpy all the way during rush hour traffic, stuffing herself in the train didn't sound like too bad of an option. Once the elevator arrived they both hopped in. Boruto pressed the button for the parking lot, but Sarada pushed the button for ground.

"The hell did you do that for?" He asked with a huff, gawking at her.

Sarada crossed her arms across her chest and harrumphed. "I'll take the train if it means you being this snippy." Honestly. What was wrong with him? "I don't want your sour mood to ruin my evening. I'm already not feeling so great to begin with."

Boruto sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I just… it's been a bad day. Just let me take you home."

Her eyes softened. He was having a bad day? Sarada thought of all the reasons why he could possibly say that, but work was a breeze today… well, she had barely worked today because she was too preoccupied, but that was beside the point. "You can tell me about it," she muttered. "I'll listen on the way home."

"I'm fine… really. I'm more worried about you, are you getting sick?"

"I—" Boruto was actually paying attention to what she said earlier? "I'm—" don't say you're fine. That's a lie. "I don't know, really…" she whispered and looked away. "I haven't really been feeling like myself."

The door opened to the parking and they both walked out, Sarada following him to his car. Her eyes drifted to his free hand, swaying by his thigh. Her palm tingled at the memory of what it felt like to have his hand in hers. Once his car came to view, Sarada forced herself to focus, and walked over to the passenger side.

Boruto looked… sad. Looks like today really was a bad day for him, and her heart hurt to think he didn't even say anything until now.

They both got in the car and she didn't say a thing, waiting for Boruto to say something. When he finally did speak, his voice was quiet and lacking its usual confidence.

"Take tomorrow off. You shouldn't overwork yourself when you're already feeling off. Okay?"

That made a lot of sense. Taking sick days weren't something Sarada did often, but her mama always scolded her whenever she took it too far. "I'll get some sleep early, and see how I'm feeling in the morning."

"Just let me know." He said, offering her a small, sad smile. "If you need me, I'll bring you anything."

She mirrored his smile, feeling how heavy his heart weighed in his chest. "Are you okay, though? For real?" Her hand involuntarily moved over to hold his, over the gearshift. "Maybe _you_ should take a sick leave."

"Yeah?" He hummed at that, a tiny hint of amusement cracking his gloomy demeanor. His hand clasped hers, fingers entwining slowly. "Maybe we should take one together."

Sarada giggled and teased. "Mr. Uzumaki, are you asking me out on a _sick date?_ "

Got you. He really had to confess now. No other way.

"Not a date. Sick leave… together. I would be glad to take care of you." His mood lightened further.

" _Me?_ " She shifted in her seat to face him. Boruto raised her hand to rest against his chest, making her feel his steady heartbeat. "You're the one who needs taking care of."

"So, we can take care of each other." He suggested, glancing over at her with softening eyes and a sincere smile as he raised her hand further, pressing a slow, warm kiss to the back of it.

Instead of being a flustered mess, Sarada felt totally at ease. Boruto holding on to her hand, sitting in his passenger seat and driving slow in traffic. The red lights illuminating his face, blue eyes sparkling at her.

Oh _no_. She definitely didn't like him. Not at all.

That sounded like a good offer, staying in to collect herself, even if she wasn't physically sick, her mind needed a break. Perhaps it was just the break she needed. Going through her schedule for the following day, there were no important meetings or matters she needed to attend to.

"A sick leave sounds nice."

"Maybe I should look after you tonight too, hm?" He suggested, tone soft, hand still holding hers close to his lips.

"I just said you were the one who needed taking care of," she chuckled lightly. "You don't have to, I'll be fine."

"Take care of me then." Boruto pressed, smiling sweetly against the back of her hand.

That smile of his always did things to her heart in ways she couldn't explain. How could she say no to him when he was looking at her like that? "Still telling me what to do, huh?"

He laughed and moved her hand to his cheek instead. "I was just making a hopeful suggestion. Come on, say yes."

Sarada laughed. "Always so persistent… okay."

"Okay." He grinned.

That sad and heavy aura from earlier was gone, and Boruto was all smiles again. It was infectious, and Sarada was already starting to feel better just seeing him smile like how he always did. Boruto kept her hand on him, occasionally dropping it to his heart or bringing it up to his mouth, brushing his lips on her knuckles as he drove.

Sarada led the way to her apartment, quite happy that she just finished cleaning the other day. She debated on either cooking dinner or just ordering out. Her couch was looking far too inviting. "Do you want to order out?"

"Sounds good to me." Boruto nodded, his mind not exactly on real food.

She hummed and picked up her phone, opening up an app and scrolling through choices as she sat down and joined him on the couch, unconsciously leaning into him as she showed Boruto her screen, talking about food options.

"Ooh, Thunder Burger." Boruto pointed it out as soon as it came along. He leaned even closer to her until there was no room between them.

"Again?"

"Well why not?" He huffed, turning his attention to her while his lips puckered into a childish pout.

"What a baby…" she muttered under her breath, but clicked on Thunder Burger anyway, choosing what they wanted. "You should eat healthier, you know?"

"Excuse me, but I'll have you know that I eat healthy all the time. Mom and Hima make sure of it." He said with a slow roll of his eyes.

Sarada couldn't help but laugh. For someone in authority, he sure acted like a baby. Needed a lot of taking care of, too. "Sure, sure." At least he was being well cared for by his family, still.

After ordering, she turned on the TV and clicked on Ninflix, handing him the remote. "You can choose, I'll go get changed first."

"Alright." He accepted their remote but his eyes didn't turn to the TV until she was out of sight.

Putting on a sweater and shorts, Sarada looked at herself and frowned. Her hair was already a mess, and she opted to tie it up in a bun over her head. Now she looked ready for a night in, and the thought of not needing to wake up early the following day excited her.

Small adulting joys. Had to soak all that up.

She pulled her comforter off her bed and dragged it out with her to the living room, only to dump it on Boruto and come back to her room to fetch her pillows, too. Also throwing them at Boruto once she came back, giggling mischievously. He was gone under all the covers and blankets.

"Shame my guest left," she announced playfully, before letting a fit of giggles overcome her.

Boruto's head popped through the pile she'd covered him in and he laughed along with her. "Not quite."

Laughing along the way, Sarada settled on the couch next to him, making herself comfortable and stealing nearly all of the comforter to her side. "Did you pick one, yet?"

"Yeah, this one looked okay. But it's supposed to be scary." He said as he pressed play.

"You picked a horror movie?" She screeched and hit him with a pillow… a little too much force than she intended to originally. "No!"

"Ow! Why not?" Boruto groaned and glared at her, but those blue eyes were undeniably soft. "It's supposed to be really great!"

She hid half her face behind a large pillow she was clinging on to. "But it's _scary_." Oh god. She was practically whining. "And I live alone..."

"Not tonight, you don't. So it's okay." He mused, smug as ever. He even opened his arms in invitation. "Come on, I'll keep you safe."

Hell no. Sarada hid under the comforter. "I don't do scary."

"Sarada," Boruto cooed, taking her into his arms whether she liked it or not. He pulled her against him and forced the comforter away. "It won't be bad, just give it a chance," He nudged her ear with his nose before adding, "for me."

Much like a scared child, her eyes were wide, seemingly larger because of her specs. "... okay." Her voice was so small, fear evident with her body language.

"Relax," Boruto chuckled softly, his hand rubbing her arm soothingly. "There's really nice reason to be afraid. It's exciting, ya know?"

She didn't believe him. Not at all. Sarada was no fan of horror, just like her Papa. But if the two of them can be brave to watch with her Mama, then she can stick this out… didn't mean she had to like it, though. "Fine." She sat back up on the couch, wrapping herself up in a cocoon, and leaning on his shoulder.

The first few minutes weren't so bad, all setting the scene and just some tiny little scares, nothing she couldn't handle. The build up for a scare was coming and Sarada was clutching on to her pillow and leaning more onto Boruto's chest, eyes never leaving the screen. The blanket was up until her nose, ready to cover herself at any moment.

When her doorbell rang she jumped, and Boruto laughed at her for a bit before standing to answer it and get their food.

She ended up lying down on the couch when he stood up, only then realizing how much she was leaning on him. A small pout formed on her lips, not liking how empty the space felt without him.

Woah wait what? No, not upset. She didn't care he wasn't next to her anymore. It wasn't like that, at all.

It's not like she liked him or anything, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is totally normal. Just friends. Nothing going on between them. At all. What a load of bullshit.
> 
> They're in her apartment. Alone. Taking care of each other. Oh dear, oh dear, just what will happen next? Your guess is as good as ours. Let Tyy and I know by leaving us a review!


	14. Movies and the Morning After

Any man who pretended they weren't affected by Sarada's gorgeous black eyes or her any of her perfect attributes were lying idiots. Boruto wouldn't deny… he was half of that. Of course, he was absolutely crazy about this girl, but he just couldn't act on all the impulses he had. That had already made things happen that weren't supposed to happen.

And how the hell did he end up talking his way into staying the night at her place?

Here he was, eating a delicious burger, watching a thrilling horror film while sitting close to a girl he did not like. Her comforter smelled so good, just like her—a scent Boruto had grown accustomed to, one he adored. God, he was in heaven. He almost never wanted to leave.

His head was all messed up. It all started over that damn Kagura, asking Sarada out on a date? Ha! Boruto would die before he let that happen— as if Sarada had time for him and anything related to dating. It irked him unlike anything else in the world. The struggle to keep his emotions in check was real, but why was he even so upset anyway? It wasn't like he actually wanted to be in a relationship with Sarada.

He just didn't want anyone else to be either.

That Kagura really thought he was something. Everybody looked at him like he was such a perfect, prince. Ew. Boruto gagged just thinking about it. He wasn't perfect, those types were the ones you had to worry about. It was obvious he just wanted to get in Sarada's pants and Boruto would take drastic measures to prevent it.

The worst of the situation was Sarada's reaction to it all. Either she was completely oblivious… or she was actually considering this guy as a potential lover. It disgusted Boruto to even think about it, it frustrated and angered him and it made his chest tighten in the most uncomfortable way.

As bothered as Boruto was over the whole thing, he decided to let it go. After all, he was the one sleeping over at her place and getting to look after her and having her so eager to take care of him. God, she was so cute and she definitely wanted him. It was only a matter of time before she confessed her feelings. He could already hear her begging him to love her in every way humanly possible.

He supposed if she went that far, he might just have to give in.

The food was great, the movie was good and the company was warm and welcoming. Boruto felt so at ease compared to how he felt the whole rest of the day. It was a horrible day. He really hated it when he couldn't get her out of his head. It seemed that no matter what kind of thoughts he was having, Sarada had something to do with them.

Once they finished eating, Sarada was quick to get closer to him once more. She was such an adorable baby, scared over the simple movie, but Boruto really liked it. It satisfied him greatly to have her head resting on his chest, her hand fisting his shirt and his own arm tucked firmly and protectively around her. Boruto had always been a fan of all types of thrillers and he thought that maybe, with time, Sarada could open up to them more as well.

There were a few times she jumped in surprise or she'd gasp and bury her face against his chest. It made him so soft for her. He just wanted to hold her forever, kiss those sweet lips—get acquainted with that flawless body.

No, no. He was just here to look out for her. No way was he making any moves. Boruto had already told himself that he would be on his best behavior. He was playing a dangerous game, being alone with her in the privacy of her apartment. There was nobody to interrupt them, nobody to get in their way if they wanted to have a little more of each other.

But, there was an unspoken agreement between them.

Nothing like that would be happening ever again.

Maybe they decided this and even reminded themselves again and again, but that didn't change what they both really wanted. Boruto could tell towards the end of the movie, when Sarada quit watching altogether and instead kept her head at his chest, cheek nuzzling him gently. Her hand had dropped on his shirt to hold onto it at his abdomen instead. She tried to be subtle, but he could tell she was really trying to get a feel of him.

He couldn't do the same. Sarada had more control than he did, of course she did. He knew if he started touching her, he wouldn't stop until he claimed her and he wasn't so sure she would try to stop him either.

Dangerous. Yet so damn exciting.

"Can you put something else on?" Sarada yawned. "I won't be able to sleep if we don't."

"I will just let me finish it first. Okay? I actually am watching it. Only like twelve minutes left." If he didn't finish it now, he never would and then the ending would remain a mystery forever.

Her lower lip jutted out slightly, but planted her cheek back on his chest and went back to watching, hand still clutching on to his shirt. Boruto smiled, wondering idly where this girl had been all his life as he watched the movie go on. It had been a lot more dramatic than he expected, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Sarada made it through to the end without another word, no complaints and only one jump and then he stretched, making both of them slide over at the action.

"Something cute?" He asked cheekily as he went to the search on Ninflix. He'd seen so many cute movies thanks to Himawari. "Do you like princesses?"

Sarada snorted. "Do I look like the princess type to you?" A sly smile crept up her face and looked pleased to see him doubt himself for a second before replying. "I love princesses."

"Figured it." Boruto mused in relief, thinking she kind of looked like a princess. Because she was beautiful. Not because he liked her or anything. "What about Frozen? I really like Olaf. He's funny."

"Because he's funny or because you like warm hugs?"

Boruto shrugged while pretending to think it over. As he pressed play, he smiled at her and said, "both." Once he gave his answer, he pulled himself away from her to stand, stretching again while eyeing his bag.

It was a good thing he went over and ended up crashing at his parent's home on occasion. After so many times, he'd started keeping an overnight bag with spare clothes in it at all times. He had stripped his suit jacket already, but he was still eager to dress down and get more comfortable.

When he stood from the couch, Sarada fell over to his side. A pout formed on her lips, brows furrowing together. "Where are you going? I sat through the horror film, you need to sit with me until we finish this."

"Don't worry, I'm going to watch it with you. I just want to change my clothes. Okay?" He smiled at her, forcing himself not to laugh at how cute and pouty she looked as he moved over to where he left his bag by the door.

Sarada didn't say anything anymore, but she slumped back on the couch, arms crossed against her chest, legs coming up to her chest. Boruto could help but grin at the sight, but it made him want to hurry and get back to her. She had made it through the entire movie with him and he really didn't want her to be afraid or alone. He might have missed her warmth a little too. But, not really.

Boruto wandered down the narrow hallway and found the bathroom, letting himself in so he could strip down to his underwear and then step into his silky sleeping shorts that fell to his knees. He was a hot sleeper and wasn't going to put anything else on. Of course, he was certain Sarada wouldn't mind one bit. It hadn't been that long ago that she had been all but begging him to take his shirt off.

She was in the same position on the couch when he returned, having left his bag in the bathroom. Her eyes were on the TV as he walked over. It wasn't until he took his spot on the couch next to her that she finally spared him a glance, only to gawk at him. Her face went the darkest shade of red he'd ever seen and he almost laughed at her, but he managed not to somehow. He didn't say anything, at least for the first few moments, but she wasn't looking away.

"Sarada, you're missing the movie." He informed her, trying not to be smug.

But he was so fucking smug. It was impossible to hide it.

Finally coming back to her senses, she abruptly looked away, eyebrow twitching and cheeks still burning. "You were the one who missed the opening song," she muttered. She violently threw the comforter away from her, and set the pillow aside, putting her folded legs and tiny shorts on display. "God it's so hot."

"Really? I think it's pretty comfy." Boruto grinned, blue eyes glimpsing at those smooth, creamy thighs before laying his hand over the right. It was just a casual touch. Natural. He wasn't trying anything funny.

Sarada tensed from his initial touch but relaxed eventually, her eyes were trained on the screen, refusing to look his way. That was fine by him, he liked her paying attention to the movie, calming down and giving him all the opportunity in the world to look her over, to move his hand until his thumb was casually rubbing over the top of her thigh. It was a shame how badly he wanted her.

But he didn't. He did not want Sarada. Not even a little bit.

She swallowed and shifted her position, letting her hands rest on her lap, still not looking at him. Though she looked concentrated on the movie, her face was still looking a little red...

It made him want to tease her. It wasn't like he had many chances to do so and it wouldn't hurt anything. Maybe. He let his hand slowly glide down to her knee and back up, loving the warmth and softness of her skin. Boruto would love to worship that sweet body of hers, but it just wasn't right. Maybe it was though, because touching her certainly felt right.

She released a shaky breath and her hand moved over to hold his, stopping his hand right when it was climbing back up her thigh. Slowly, Sarada looked at him and raised a brow. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing… just admiring your legs. They're nice." She was the one presenting them, she shouldn't expect any less.

It didn't look like she liked that answer, lower lip jutting out again and her dark eyes squinted, looking at him suspiciously. "Right." She took the pillow and placed it on his lap, hitting him with it in the process before lying down. No comforter, though. And she stretched her legs out on the couch.

She was trying him. On purpose. Because she wanted him. It was so obvious.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked, even though he knew she wasn't. He was all smiles as he looked over her curves until he settled his eyes on her face and started playing with a stray, shorter lock of hair, fingers ghosting around the shell of her ear as he did.

Sarada shuddered at his touch. She replied stubbornly, "No."

"Are you sure?" He asked, voice dropping to a low hum as his fingertips trailed down her neck, causing chills to spread over her body. "Look kind of cold to me."

Sarada scoffed and sat up, glaring at him. "I said I wasn't." And to prove her point, she pulled her sweater off her head, revealing a thin camisole underneath. For someone who claims to be feeling warm, her nipples said otherwise.

"Wow, stripping on the first date? What a naughty girl." Boruto chuckled darkly. God, he was glad she put that pillow over his lap because he was officially hard.

Her eyebrow quirked up. "Who said this was a date? You should make your intentions clear, sir."

"Pft. Relax, Sarada. I was only kidding." He said while drawing little circles on her arm with his finger. "Except about the stripping part." This was not a date at all, but she wished it was. Obviously.

"Psh, speak for yourself. You said you were going to change but you came back without a shirt on." She didn't lie back down on his lap, instead, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees.

The movie long forgotten to the two.

"This is how I sleep. What's the problem? Can't handle seeing me shirtless?" She wanted him that bad… he didn't blame her. He wondered how many times she'd thought about what happened in his office.

"I can't handle how full of yourself you are," she muttered under her breath and rolled her eyes. This time, she took the comforter back and wrapped herself up, blocking his view of her body. She turned her attention back to the TV again and ignored him.

He'd bet his last dollar that she wanted to be full of him, but he decided to keep that comment to himself. He held the pillow in place on his lap, entwining his fingers to prevent himself from touching her more. God, he wanted to. But he just couldn't.

After a while, Sarada slumped down on the couch, trying to make herself comfortable. Towards the middle of the movie, her eyes were starting to droop and she yawned. Without even asking for permission, she pulled his hands away from the pillow on his lap, to make room for her head. She squirmed for a bit, trying to get comfortable.

A good minute passed and she was still restless. She pulled the pillow off his lap and pressed her cheek against his thigh instead, finding another comfortable spot. Sarada seemed happier with this height and moved closer to him, head inching up his lap.

Shit. Boruto panicked on the inside, trying to figure out a way to hide his erection but she was too close to it and there was nothing he could do but hope and pray that she didn't move anymore.

A small smile was on her face now. Probably because she was comfortable and Olaf was singing. She groped around for a pillow to hug, and pulled the comforter off her body. In the process to get comfortable again, her head kept moving on his lap, head inching just a little bit higher.

Way too close. Boruto's breath hitched and before she could find out about his predicament, his hands moved to her head to still her. "Y-you're moving too much!" He chided her, neck burning. He needed to play it off, soothe her, so he quickly went to work playing with her hair. She wouldn't suspect anything if he distracted her.

"Hmm?" She turned her head to look at him, the only thing keeping his dick from touching her head was his hand.

"Stay still, watch the movie." He said, making sure to keep his voice steady. He wouldn't let her find out. He couldn't, so he pulled her hair free of its tie and started massaging her scalp. No way she could resist it.

A light moan escaped her throat and she relaxed to his touch, turning her attention back to the movie. She would still occasionally rub her cheek on his lap, and he cursed himself for wearing such a long pair of shorts for a while. It was ridiculous how easily she turned him on, but as her eyes began to droop and she kept snuggling him, he found her to be so cute that it helped to calm him. She was tired, she said she hadn't felt well and he wanted her to be well-rested.

Boruto played with her hair even after she had fallen asleep on his lap and he sat there, deep in thought instead of watching the movie. Sarada really was killing him. It wasn't fair, but as much as he hated it, he also loved it. Only on the inside though. She would never know.

After a while, Boruto's eyes began to close as well. He was tired, it had been the worst day ever and he needed to sleep too. He was too afraid to fall asleep with her on the couch though. It was too risky. No doubt she would end up getting a feel of his dick at some point if he did, so instead, he carefully pulled her into his arms and lifted her as he got off the couch. She would be more comfortable in her bed anyway.

She barely stirred in transition, though she clung to his shorts once he had her in her bed and he had to struggle to break free from her. Boruto went back for her comforter and then returned to her room to cover her up, tucking her in until he was satisfied. He smiled as he removed her glasses and set them on her bedside table, heart speeding up the tiniest bit at how calm and sweet she looked. Before he could think better of it, he leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead and then he went back to crash on the couch.

.

.

.

"Go away!" Boruto groaned as the sound of knocking disturbed his sleep. He grumbled a few curses and then rolled over when he heard it again— hitting the floor with a yelp.

What the hell?

He sat up with a start, blinking in surprise. Oh. He had been on the couch. On Sarada's couch. He stayed the night and they were having a sick day today. But somebody was knocking on her door while she was trying to rest. And him too.

"Fucking asshole." He got to his feet, pissed at the insistent knocking. His already rotten mood took a nosedive when he pulled the door open to find Kagura standing there.

Not today satan.

"Can I help you?" Boruto asked, in no mood for this guy. Who did he think he was anyway? Coming to Sarada's apartment? Was he hoping to have one of those sex dates with her? Not on his life.

To say he was shocked was an understatement. His hand was still held up, poised to knock. Eyes wide and his jaw slacked. "B-Boruto?"

"Yeah, it's me alright. You got a problem?" He wasn't a morning person and he hated being woken up, even more so when it was a man trying to steal what belonged to him.

Wait… Fuck it. Yeah, Sarada belonged to him. Nobody else was going to have her on his watch.

Boruto was certainly different now from how he was in the office. Kagura looked at him from head to toe and back up again, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and his blond hair was all messed up more than usual. "I… I didn't expect you to be here."

It was only seven in the morning, after all. And in Sarada's apartment.

"Surprise." Boruto rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I—Sarada asked me to pick her up for yoga before work today," Kagura explained, still a little shocked. "Is she ready to go?"

Boruto almost laughed. "Oh yeah, that." He hummed. "Sorry no, she's exhausted. She's going to be home resting today. With me."

"Is she okay?" This only made Kagura look more confused. "She looked fine yesterday… is there anything I can do for her?"

"She just had a late night." Boruto smiled. "She's fine and no, I've got it. Thank you for worrying though. I'll let her know you stopped by."

Before he could say another word, Boruto closed the door and went back inside, muttering about how early it was to be disturbed on their not date sick leave. It was absolutely ridiculous and it just had to be him.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep now, Boruto wandered into the kitchen and was happy to find a coffee pot that he got going before moving to her fridge. She was well stocked and he assumed she prepared most of her meals. It reminded him of all the lunches she'd gifted him when she was his secret Santa and he smiled to himself as he got out the eggs and bacon. There wasn't much he could cook, really breakfast foods were all he could manage to get right, but it was enough. He was supposed to be looking out for her today after all.

It only took him a little over half an hour to finish cooking, even adding pancakes in for a more fulfilling meal. Breakfast was the most important meal of the day. He'd finished his first cup of coffee as he cooked and then fixed himself another, and one for Sarada before preparing their plates and setting the table for them. She was still sleeping soundly whenever he stepped into her room and he almost didn't want to wake her. She could always take a nap later though and breakfast wasn't good cold.

Padding over to her, Boruto leaned over, smiling wide at the sight of her drooling through parted lips. She shouldn't have been so adorable. "Sarada," He called softly, combing her hair back off her face.

She didn't budge, still lightly snoring.

"Sarada…" He sang her name a little louder, leaning down to be close to her ear, his hot breath fanning over the side of her neck. "Wake up, beautiful."

A low groan came from her and she shifted, hiding her face. And then… back to being still.

"Playing hard to get?" He mused. It didn't surprise him one bit, but it didn't deter him either. He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her neck, pulled the covers down as he did.

That seemed to have gotten a reaction out of her. A small shudder and a breathy moan.

Oh. She liked that.

Sarada mumbled something he couldn't quite understand and went back to sleep.

"I made breakfast." He told her before kissing her neck again, this time sucking on it hard enough to wake her up and even to leave a mark. "Get up and eat with me… or I'll just eat you instead."

She moaned from his kiss, a little louder this time and she blinked her eyes open, long lashes fluttering as she did. "What're you doing?" Her hand came up to rest on his shoulder, while the other rubbed her eye. "It's a sick leave…" she whined.

"I know, if you want, you can go back to sleep after you eat. Okay? Can't go skipping meals if you want to be at one hundred percent… and I need you at one hundred percent." Boruto said while peppering kisses up and down her neck. As long as she would lie there, he would continue.

Her eyes closed again, the hand on his shoulder traveling up his hair. Low moans escaped her lips and turned her head to give him better access. "I don't wanna get up."

Oh. But little Boruto was up.

"I said I'd make you my breakfast if you don't get up… you're gonna just let me do as I please?" He certainly wouldn't complain. She smelled so deliciously sweet, she was so warm and soft and god, he could already taste what was between those perfect legs. His tongue slid down over her shoulder, lips closing just on the top of it to mark her yet again while he waited for a response.

A gasp escaped her lips and her hand took a fist full of his hair. "Boruto…"

"Mm say it again." He smirked, kissing his way back to her neck, over her cheek and then raised his head to stare at her beautiful, flushed face. He wanted to kiss those lips too.

Finally, her eyes were half open. "Stop it…" She whined. "You're making fun of me."

"No, I'm not. It was really hot. Of course I want to hear it again." He snickered and then slid his tongue across her lower lip before she could react.

"Not on your life," she muttered before giggling.

Now she decided to wake up.

She smiled at him. "Good morning."

"Good morning." He smiled back, blue eyes shining. He was so close, too close to miss out. What did it matter… his lips had already been everywhere else. Boruto didn't think much of it before he captured her lips in a soft kiss.

"You taste like coffee…" she mumbled. "I need…"

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat as he straightened himself, turning around to hide the problem that was impossible to hide in his thin shorts. "Already waiting on you. Along with breakfast. So, come on."

She hummed. "Okay…" Boruto helped her up, holding her hands and pulling her out of bed. Once she was steady on her feet, he let go of one hand, but held fast on the other before leading her to the kitchen.

Boruto had forgotten all about how rudely he was awakened and he was happy now—feeling confident that they were going to have a wonderful and quiet not date sick leave together.

It was going to be a good day.


	15. Talking About Food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains 2 scenes with explicit content.
> 
> The first scene is marked with xxx and will end with xxx.
> 
> The second scene will start with xxxxx and will end with xxxxx.
> 
> A/N: This story is marked rated M, and we expect our readers to be responsible.

Sarada was still in a sleepy daze when she sat down on her chair. A full plate of breakfast and a mug of coffee was steaming to her left, calling out to be consumed. For once, she ignored the cup, because the person sitting in front of her was too hard not to look at.

His hair was messed up, still shirtless and wearing shorts. He didn't look half as sleepy as she did, though, as if he was up for at least an hour before she was. That made her cringe. Boruto did seem like a morning person. Always early to work and chipper.

Reaching for her coffee, she blew on it, the bottom rim of her glasses getting moist from the steam. It had the perfect shade of coffee brown and smelled delicious, however, the way Boruto woke her up was even tastier.

Sarada blushed and took a sip. She needed to wake the fuck up because even if this was real, she wasn't thinking things through. Just the gifts he got her for Secret Santa already got people talking and teasing, but they were easily dismissed with Shikadai explaining that Boruto had always been like that… to his sister, at least. Having the president say a word or two about easily made people shut up.

But the looks she got whenever she wore the bracelet or the necklace he got her were different.

Her close colleagues didn't seem to mind it, though. Even encouraged her to date him. Ha! Date. What a concept.

And yet, here he was, sitting in front of her. Having breakfast after staying the night.

Sarada choked on her coffee. Nothing happened. She had fallen asleep during the movie on the couch and wait… how did she wake up in bed?

There was only one answer, and she coughed to clear her throat.

That was the second time he had carried her. When she was asleep and didn't have any control over the situation.

But when they were in his car, letting him hold her hand… She had control then, didn't she? She shouldn't have let him hold her like that, or kiss her hand and sleep in her apartment.

But she did. And truth be told… she liked it.

Wanted more of it.

Was that bad?

Surely.

Was she going to do it again?

One-hundred percent.

Taking a longer sip from her drink, she thought about how he woke her up. The feel of his mouth on her skin, and the way he kissed her lips so softly. The tips of her ears burned and she put the mug down.

Perhaps it wasn't Boruto Uzumaki who liked her. Maybe it was the other way around.

It was a dangerous game she was playing, one wherein whoever falls in love first, loses.

Sarada was a sore loser. She's confident she wouldn't be the first to cave.

Who followed her home? Boruto.

Who asked to stay the night? Boruto.

Who sent her an invitation for just a kiss (still a load of bullshit)? _Boruto._

Even if it all pointed to him, as the coffee sobered her up and woke her common sense that had apparently been asleep since day 1 of Boruto's time as Marketing Director, she still couldn't deny she had a hand it letting all happen.

Okay. She let it all happen. But it's not because she liked him.

He's hot, yes. Smart? For sure. Funny? Definitely. Sweet? As fuck.

Boyfriend material?

"I don't know," Sarada muttered out loud.

"What did you say?" Boruto looked up from his meal.

Fuck. She really did say that out loud. "Nothing."

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"I will," she smiled, picking her fork up. Perhaps it was better to think about these things when he left, which shouldn't be for too long. It's not like he had plans to stay with her the entire day, right?

Wrong.

It was already noon, and Boruto was asking her what she wanted for lunch.

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Innocent question. She wasn't asking him to leave, but she genuinely wondered why he wanted to stay around. He was also taking a sick day, after all. It would be better to play sick in the comfort of your own home.

"Ouch. Overstayed my welcome already… and you haven't even tried to take care of me yet." Boruto pouted shamelessly.

"Oh," Sarada blinked. "That's not really what I meant…" She looked away. He really was clingy, but it made her wonder why he was to _her_. "I just thought you might want to go home to get some rest."

Unless… He was totally in love with her.

Sarada smirked. "Unless you'll miss me too much."

"Yeah… I doubt I could handle it." He said, hiding his cheekiness by continuing to pout.

Damn that pout. She wanted nothing more than to kiss it. Wait, no. Bad. No, Sarada. Don't go there. Even if she really wanted to.

She giggled and had him sit on the couch with her. They both haven't even changed out of their sleeping clothes yet, and honestly, Sarada didn't want to. It was starting to get cold, though. Perhaps slipping on a sweater would be best. "Again with pulling the baby act on me. It's not going to work all the time, you know? Fine, what do you want to have for lunch?"

"Hm… I'm not sure…" He trailed off with a sigh. "I think I have a taste for something… sweet."

The way he implied it made her roll her eyes. "And here I thought you were going to say _me_." She giggled, but quickly followed it with, "I know a good cake place that delivers."

"Nah… I don't think it's cake that I want… You're right. You sound better." He said teasingly while leaning close to her.

Even if he was joking, her heart started to flutter, thanking all the gods in the skies that they weren't in the office. "Don't let anyone hear you say that," she muttered. "For real, what do you want?"

Was she even talking about food, or what?

"Why don't you tell me what you want, Sarada?" He asked softly.

Her eyes lowered to his parted lips. "I honestly don't know," she replied, just as softly as he asked.

Totally talking about _food_.

"I'm sure you can think of something… and no matter what it is, I'll make it happen."

"Alright," she smirked. "Just one..." she leaned in closer to him, "kiss." Once their lips brushed, she meant to pull back right away. But it seemed like her body didn't want to stop there. At all. With a mind of its own, her arms came up to wrap around his neck, and she got up from the couch to straddle his lap, lips never leaving each other.

Boruto's hands eagerly went to her hips, sliding up and down her sides. No complaint to be heard from him about what she apparently wanted for lunch.

Her tongue slid out to lick his lower lip before biting on it lightly and pulling away. God. What was she doing? Whatever it was, it was good and she wanted more of it.

Sitting herself down on his lap, she was pleasantly surprised to feel his hardness on her sex, a gasp escaping her lips. She smirked. It looks like she wasn't the only one happy about their lunch choice. Kissing his cheek and working her way to his ear, Sarada grounded her hips down on him, feeling a pleasurable burn between her legs.

Boruto's fingers dug into her shorts and he allowed her to do as she pleased, though his hips moved beneath her on their own. "Sarada," Her name fell from his lips, quiet and deep and wanton.

Damn. She liked the sound of her name when he said it like that. She ground her hips on him again, moaning in the process. "Say that again," she whispered and then nipped at his earlobe

Boruto snorted and moved his head to get his lips at her neck. "Make me." He said, keeping his lips parted to trail them across her sensitive throat.

A mixture of a whine and a groan escaped her throat. Everywhere he planted kisses on her made her skin burn. "You said…" her breath was getting ragged. "I can have whatever I wanted for lunch."

"And you decided?" He asked breathily, grip on her hips tightening as his hips flexed under her and he nipped at her neck.

Even if she knew what she wanted, she wasn't going to let him win that easily. "What are my options?" Sarada placed her hands on either side of his face, capturing his lips for a kiss as she rocked her hips on his lap.

"Anything. Whatever you desire." He said he would make it happen… and he meant it.

**xxx**

_Sex._

Fuck, what was the point of denying it now when they were both hot and bothered? He said she could have whatever she wanted, and that's _exactly_ what Sarada wanted.

But would her pride even _let_ her say it?

Boruto kissed her again, feeling a strong shift in the air. This time for sure, she wanted him and he intended to please her, give her everything she wanted. So, he didn't hesitate in slipping his tongue between her lips or letting her hands grope her pretty, plump ass. The softest whimper came from her and Boruto swallowed it up, his excitement getting the better of him until he needed to feel more. His hands raised to slip beneath the waistband of her soft, stretchy shorts, and under her panties as well. Within seconds, his fingers were between her legs, feeling between her wet folds.

"Hungry?" He pressed, nibbling on her lower lip while his index finger circled around the one place he wanted to be inside more than anything.

Her back arched and she swallowed a scream. _Yes. "_ Starving."

Boruto groaned at that, the word coming out so unbelievably sexy it made his cock throb for her. "I can fix that." He breathed, rutting his hips under her steadily. He was so hard.

Sarada's hands scrambled to the edge of her camisole and pulled it off in one smooth movement. Nevermind that she was freezing earlier because it was getting way too hot for clothes in here. She lifted herself by her knees and pulled her shorts and panties off with ease, letting Boruto get a good look at her. Sarada even removed her glasses.

"Shit, Sarada…" Boruto couldn't hide his surprise or his elation. She was baring herself to him completely, giving herself to him, so he could have all of her, officially and he was not about to miss out.

"Are you just going to sit there or are you going to come and get dessert?"

"So eager." He mused, but oh, he liked it. "How about a snack first?"

Her head tipped to the side, hair falling across her chest. "For you or me?"

"You." He said, forcing her to grind down on him a little harder.

Sarada didn't bother to swallow her scream this time. "Boruto!" This wasn't fair, he wasn't playing fair. But if it would speed things up and have her turn, then fine.

He wasn't the only one who was good with their mouth, after all.

Her hands slipped down to his thighs as she slowly slid down to kneel on the floor, eyes never leaving his. Did he want to play? Oh, they're going to play. And he is going to lose.

Once her knees met with the carpet, Sarada stroked her way up to the waistband of his shorts and played around for a while before pulling them down, ever so slowly and pulled it off him.

She swallowed at the sheer size of him. Damn.

Her eyes flicked back to him, blue eyes hooded with pleasure and anticipation. A smirk formed on her face. Sarada wrapped her fingers around him and leaned closer, brushing her lips with his head, ever so lightly as she moved her hand halfway up and then down again, planting another featherlight kiss as she did. Her eyes flicked to his face again, enjoying seeing how much he was panting. "Just a snack, right?" Mischievousness glinting in her dark eyes.

"Sarada… don't tease me." He groaned, moving both hands into her silky black locks.

Sarada snickered at the sound of her name. She pressed her lips a little harder, tracing down to his base and then to his sack. She let her tongue peek out and licked the length of him all the way up and circled her tongue around at his tip. "I'm not teasing," she giggled. And proceeded to give small and quick licks around, moving her hand up and down as she went on.

Boruto was on the verge of losing his mind and she hadn't even taken him into her mouth yet, but everything she did felt so good and promised so much more. He was completely enraptured by the moment, totally mesmerized by the sight of her, naked and on her knees, pretty little mouth and pink tongue all over his dick.

Then, out of nowhere, as if to think the blissful experience, his phone started to ring.

"Ignore it." He rasped, speaking both to her and himself.

Her eyebrows shot up, but did as she was told, going back to painting teasing circles all over his dick. Just a little more and she would put it in her mouth, but the phone kept on ringing, refusing to stop. Sarada licked on, just as the phone kept on ringing.

She scoffed and glared at the phone on the side table. "Can you turn it off?" Mood swinging from aroused to pissed in less than a second. She was still on her knees, head between his legs, but her eyes were glaring at him.

"Okay." He sighed and grabbed his phone to silence it—yet somehow ended up answering the incoming call and gaping at his sister's face on the ID. What a way to kill his arousal. He panicked, knowing Sarada was going to be pissed, but Himawari couldn't catch him in such a situation, so he hung up on her. "Fuck."

"Who was that?" Sarada asked, arms resting on his thighs, lips dangerously close to his dick, but she made no move to get back on it again.

"Himawari." He huffed, glaring at the ceiling as his head lolled back on the couch. "She's going to call back any second."

And she did. The ringing sounded just as insistent as it did the first time and Sarada pouted at him, ruining the momentum.

The phone rang for a few more seconds, and both of them didn't speak a word until Boruto groaned and picked his phone back up to answer it. "Himaaaa," He whined. "What is it?"

Sarada's jaw slacked. He actually answered it! What a bitch. Her glare intensified and she crossed her arms across her chest as she listened to their phone call.

"You hung up on me!" Hima screeched on the other side. "How could you!"

"I'm sorry, okay. I'm in the middle of something. Just let me call you back in a bit."

In a bit? What was this, _Diner Dash?_

"What is so important that you had to hang up on me?"

Oh, the little angel sounded pissed, but so was Sarada. And Boruto made no move to hang up again, only stayed on the line and covered his face with his free hand, begging her to let him off the hook and that he'll call her back as soon as he can. Himawari was still insisting, and Sarada vaguely heard her asking Boruto to come to pick her up right away.

No way. Not happening.

Sarada got back up into position and wrapped her hand around his dick, looking at him with nothing but vengeance in her dark eyes. He is going to _pay_ for this. In one quick movement, she swallowed him whole.

"Holy f—" His phone fell from his hand and dropped on the cushion next to him, but he quickly picked it back up. "Hima, I can't, go. Gotta go. Call later." Nothing was coming outright.

"If you drop this call I will hate you forever!"

She rolled her eyes and pulled off, only to take him in again, fondling his sack as she went.

"I'll make it up to you. Promise." He told her, attaining to keep his words steady and his breathing in check.

He was still on the phone… She wanted to take it slow, but it looked like he needed to learn a lesson with prioritizing the right things. Sarada pulled off and came in faster and deeper this time.

"I'm dying here, Nii-chan!" Himawari cried on the phone. "I'm dying and you won't come and help me!"

"You'll have to call mom this time. I really have to go! Kay, love you." He said in a rush and finally ended the call and let his phone go.

Fucking finally. The phone was gone, and Sarada started to slow down but stopped mid-stroke when his fucking phone rang _again._ Boruto cursed the stupid device and turned it on silent. He loved his sister, but even she wasn't getting in the way of _this._

"Fuck, I'm sorry. It won't go off again." He assured her, hands gripping her hair as she let it go, calming down to continue her ministrations.

Two strikes were fine, but there better not be another. Slowing down and enjoying her snack, Sarada was finally getting into a good and steady rhythm. One that she and Boruto enjoyed. Sarada wrapped her fingers around his dick again, moving up and down as she twirled her tongue on his head again.

And then… his phone started vibrating.

Oh hell no. She swallowed him whole and went as deep as she could, nearly choking in the process. If he so dared touched his phone again, he was going to regret it. As Himawari put it, Sarada would hate him forever.

Boruto glanced down at his phone and groaned. "Fuck, it's my dad." He hissed, eyes darting back to the beautiful girl going down on him. "I should…" his words died on his tongue as she worked her mouth and hand in tandem, moving a little faster. Not much, but enough to have him not giving a damn who was calling.

The call died down, but a text went through. "Where are you?"

Boruto took a peek but ignored it, making Sarada feel like a winner. Finally. Got his priorities right, and for that, she would give him a reward. Steadily picking up her pace, working her mouth and hand in sync, pushing him over to the edge, just as he did to her on his desk. With the memory coming back to her, Sarada picked up the pace even more, finishing up her snack, wanting her meal next.

Despite Boruto's phone blowing up, vibrating with an assortment of texts and calls, they both ignored it. She was making him feel too good—he'd been wanting this for too long now and he was so close it was almost laughable. After all the distractions and the short amount of time, she'd been working on him… but he didn't care, he was way too lost in her.

"Sarada, shit… I'm gonna come." He panted, gripping her hair tight and forcing her down on him until she had all of him. He held her in place as he came, groaning in sheer bliss at the feeling of her swallowing over and over again. She didn't miss a drop and when she pulled off, Boruto was crossed between relief and a burning need to have a lot more.

**xxx**

Sarada sat on her heels, licking her lips as she let Boruto collect himself from his high, eager for her meal to come next, still as hungry as ever. Getting on her feet, she straddled his lap again, wanting to continue.

Boruto looked like he had other plans, though. He was going through his phone, reading the texts his father and Himawari had been sending him.

"Seriously?" Sarada was so done with this. Boruto was almost never on the phone but now he really couldn't let it go.

"What?" Boruto didn't even look at her, still scrolling through his phone. His hand tried to come to her ass, but she stopped him and threw it away.

"Forget it." Sarada got off him and picked up her clothes and glasses on the floor, walking over to her room.

This is the second time she felt so _used_ by him.

Sarada placed her glasses back on and fought her tears as she put her panties back on. _Idiot_. She felt like _such_ an idiot. Playing right into his hand and giving him what he wanted because fuck, she wanted the same thing, despite the consequences.

Feelings weren't on the table here, just pure carnal desire that shouldn't have warranted her to feel this way after when he chose his phone and his family over giving her his full attention.

Was she not enough for him?

He wanted to be taken care of, and that's exactly what she was doing. Simply returning the favor, really.

But it hurt to be ignored like that. And she hated how she felt right now.

She hated _him_ , the most.

Sarada swallowed thickly and threw her camisole back on. Tears quickly threatening to spill over and fall on her cheeks. No. This wasn't going to affect her. She wasn't going to allow herself to cry over this, either. Steeling herself, Sarada threw on a sweater and looked around for a pair of sweats she could pull on for a quick walk.

The cold air would do her good.

Going through her laundry basket, her vision started to blur, tears winning over this battle. No. Stop it. Sarada stood up straight and furiously wiped at her eyes, glasses going askew but she didn't care.

 _Stop crying!_ She willed herself, gasping for air to steady herself. _Stop it!_

"Sarada?" Boruto let himself into her room, closing the door behind himself. "Hey, I'm sorry. I just needed to take care of that… and I did."

Fuck. Can't let him see her right now. Sarada used her sleeves to wipe her face down, clearing her throat and doing her best to calm down.

Boruto sighed and walked up behind her, winding his arms around her waist and hugging her. "I didn't mean to upset you. Let me make it up to you."

Ha! As if. What could he possibly do to make her anger dissipate?

He kissed the back of her neck and as hurt and mad as she was, Sarada didn't stop him or pull away. "I can't believe you ran away from me… came in here putting all these clothes on, knowing we were just getting started." He turned her around to face him and she pulled in a shaky breath. "I said I'd take care of you today and I meant it."

Their lips met in a kiss filled with urgency and an unyielding desire, the pair so desperate to have each other that it didn't even make sense. For a moment, Boruto's hand was cradling her face, fingers curling into her hair behind her ear while his tongue darted past her lips to dance with her own. A soft moan hummed through her nose, nails digging into his shoulders as he pushed her panties down.

**xxxxx**

Sarada stepped out of them, kissing him back fervorously as his warm hand roamed up her back, pulling her camisole and sweater up on the way. The kiss was broken just long enough for him to remove the tops and then they dove back in, teeth clashing, moans mingling. Boruto lifted her up and Sarada's legs wound around his waist, dainty hands fisting his blond hair as he carried her to her bed and laid her down.

She was pleased to feel that he was hard again, grinding his erection against her sex as they kissed like their lives depended on it. As always, he smelled so good and he felt so good. She could only imagine how great it would be to have him inside of her, filling her up and pleasuring her until she was thoroughly satisfied.

Boruto would not disappoint her again.

His right hand trailed down her side, almost tickling her from being so gentle. Her head fell back and she gasped when he suddenly came across her left nipple, his thumb and index finger pinching and rolling it until she was panting and near begging him for more. Her reaction was immensely satisfying to the blond and he hummed in approval while licking his way down her neck, over her collarbone and further south until his mouth closed around her other nipple. He sucked it firmly though not roughly. Still, she was sensitive and so turned on she was trembling.

Sarada moaned freely in between gasps as she was forced to take the wonderful torture he was currently subjecting her to. Each suck and nip and twist was mind-boggling, driving her mad until her nails were scraping harshly up his back.

Now, who was teasing?

"Boruto," she gasped. "Get on with it."

He smirked and worked his way down her body, giving her sweet love bites and tantalizing licks on his way down her tummy. His hands moved to just above her knees, spreading her legs further apart. "It's only fair that I get a snack too, right?"

Her only response was a shrill cry because he didn't give her a chance to actually answer him before his skilled tongue was swirling around her needy clit.

Oh, it felt so good. But she wanted so much more and now she knew exactly what he had to offer her. Though her needs were at the forefront of her mind, she tried to keep them to herself, chewing on her lip to try and keep it down for the most part.

It wasn't working out.

Boruto alternated between those perfect licks, slow, sensual kisses and lingering suckles that had her on the brink of ecstasy in a matter of what felt like seconds. The feeling intensified tenfold when his fingers came to her sex as well, quickly finding her entrance. With a firm lick, he slipped two fingers into her and Sarada keened, crying out in delighted bliss.

This way, he teased and pleased her until her insides were quivering. She was just in the edge—knowing she was about to have one mind-blowing climactic experience. But then he pulled away. His mouth and his hand, and even his warmth left her.

The complaints died on her tongue when he crawled over her, his hand wrapping around himself as he got into position.

_Finally._

"You ready for it?" He asked, blue eyes dark and heavily lidded as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip. His hand worked the tip of his length between her soaked folds, pressing firmly and rubbing across that tender bundle of nerves and then sliding down to prod at her entrance.

" _Yes_." Pride be damned. She'd been waiting and she was finally getting it.

Boruto kisses her once more, sucking softly on her bottom lip as he slowly rocked his hips forward, the tip of his cock finally breaching her. Sarada sucked in a sharp breath, holding it and clinging to him while waiting for more.

So much more.

When she didn't return his kisses anymore, Boruto dropped his head, opting to suck on her slender neck instead. Slowly, tauntingly, he pushed into her, just a few centimeters at a time before pulling back and giving her a little more. She didn't think she'd ever been so wet before and _god_ he filled her up just right—just like she knew he would.

It didn't seem to matter that she had sucked him off so recently. He was at full mass, cock pulsing within her and that and a combination of him sucking harshly on her neck had her seeing stars. Sarada was tinkering on the edge, her orgasm teasing her more than he was. Oh, but it was his fault, he knew what he was doing, purposely moving in a way to make her feel so good without giving her the ultimate stimulation she desired.

Things went on like this for a few moments, until she could take it no longer and her hips bucked beneath him. His lips pulled away from her neck and he cursed under his breath, giving her everything he had in one hot and heavy thrust. Sarada screamed and Boruto nearly came on the spot.

While he was completely sheathed inside of her, Boruto ground his hips slow but firm, stimulating her swollen nub with each movement. She was unaware of all the marks they were exchanging. From his mouth and her nails, neither of them cared. Nothing mattered more than this wonderful feeling of ultimate pleasure sending her close to delirium. Boruto breathed heavily, grunting and whispering her name in her ear as he continued to move at a steady but agonizingly slow pace.

Moaning his name, Sarada asked for more. " _Please_." That was all Boruto needed to hear to give her just that. His hips snapped forward until he was thrusting into her, fast and hard, staring down at her as she writhed and moaned and clawed him.

Her moans grew louder and continuous, never faltering, much like the way he was pounding into her. Her walls began fluttering and clenching around him, a telltale sign that she was about to come. Boruto was right behind her too, and he could feel it as much as she could. He moved her legs over his shoulders, watching her pretty black eyes roll back as a piercing scream tore through her apartment.

Sarada's orgasm hit her hard in immediate and all-consuming waves of euphoria. Her body thrashed and jerked from the experience that was dragged out through several more precise thrusts. Boruto cursed loudly as he reached his own climax, his last few movements the best he'd managed yet. He didn't pull out as he found his release, instead stilling while buried inside her to the hilt.

**xxxxx**

They both panted and Boruto rested his head on the pillow beside hers, slowly lowering her legs and keeping most of his weight supported with one arm. He groaned before humming humorously and leaning up to kiss her. He was grinning broadly when he pulled back and then rolled into his side, bringing her with him.

"Better?"

Sarada nodded, still trying to catch her breath. She couldn't even remember the last time she had sex that good. He chuckled lightly, his grin toning down to a content smile as his arm tucked around her and he held her close.

They needed a nap after all that.

She eagerly shifted to cuddle, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest, hiding a satisfied smile. "Best meal I've had," she murmured, a little too soft, hoping he wouldn't hear what she just admitted. When he asked what she said, she only shook her head and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "Nap time."

Boruto pouted, whining a little about her always hiding things from him. It made her giggle, planting more kisses around his face. On his cheeks, nose, eyes, and then his lips, effectively shutting him up and relaxing a little more.

Sarada made a mental note to stop getting stuck in her head. After all that, it seemed like it was all a lie she told herself… and things were looking to be good between them.

How can everything not be good?

Another wonderful not date wrapped up, and she closed her eyes, releasing a satisfied sigh before falling asleep in his arms.


	16. Clawed Out

Things happened.

Things as in, Boruto had sex with Sarada which led him to his current predicament. It was the next day and he was sitting in his office already in a conference call only half an hour after arriving with his father and Lily's manager. They needed to discuss her schedule in order to plan their formal signing. There were so many things he needed to get in order but this popstar wasn't making things easy for him—or her manager.

It was her way or no way and Boruto was baffled when the manager told him that Lily wanted a gift from him, or she would back out. That really put him in a situation and Naruto didn't seem very happy about it either, but Boruto managed to reassure both the manager and his father that he would take care of it.

When he finally finished the call, he groaned. His back was on fire, even though he'd worn his softest button-down and stripped his suit jacket and tie the instant he got in his office. She even got the back of his neck with those nails and honestly, as much as it burned, he would love her to do it again.

Their not date sick leave had gone well and though there were a few bumps, by the time Boruto left, they were both feeling a lot better. Until today that is. Himawari has been sending Boruto hate-texts even before he woke up and they hadn't stopped yet. His good mood from the night before was nonexistent now. Not only did he have her to worry about, but this ridiculously annoying pop star as well.

And he thought Sarada was difficult.

Today just wasn't his day and it seemed nothing he said would pacify Himawari. He had no choice but to do something sweet to make it up to her and this time it would take more than flowers.

Flowers should do for Lily though. He didn't understand the girl's interest in him, but he knew he had to make her happy—at least until he officially had her under contract.

Boruto sent Sarada a message asking her to come to his office ASAP while he worked on a plan for the promotional ads they would need. He sent another email to Inojin, asking him to draw up a few different things and then pulled up another tab just to stare at it. He had no idea what he was going to do for his sister this time.

"Sir?" Sarada peeked in before walking into his office, closing the door behind her. "You wanted to see me?"

Boruto turned his gaze to her and could have sworn the burning on his back and neck worsened. She looked as beautiful as ever, but today she wore a maroon turtleneck sweater that she had tucked into black slacks that surprisingly didn't disappoint him.

"Good morning." He smiled softly at her, ignoring the way his heart made a little fuss. "I need a favor."

She returned his smile. "Good morning. Sure, what is it?"

"I need to send Lily something that will make her smile. I was thinking flowers would be fine. Could you pick an arrangement for me and have it sent over to her? Something… flashy."

Her brow quirked up. "Excuse me?"

"You know, something any girl would love. Just make sure it's not cheap. Roses maybe? A variety would probably be good." He didn't know much about the girl, but any girl loved roses right?

"Right… I'm sorry," she crossed her arms across her chest. "What is this for?"

Boruto frowned at the obvious attitude he received from his not girl and leaned back in his chair, barely containing a hiss at the pain it caused him. "She wants a gift." He shrugged. Even he knew it was ridiculous. "I'm assuming flowers are a safe route to take. What do you think?"

"Throw in an invitation for a private dinner at the top of the city while you're at it."

Oh, the _salt._ "Sarada, you're getting mad over nothing." _Again._ "She's threatening to back out if I don't. What am I supposed to do?"

"Flowers and dinner sound good," Sarada smiled sweetly at him. "I'll have a reservation done for you." She made a move to leave, "And sir, I'm not mad." She shrugged. "It's just… _trivial_."

"No dinner, Sarada. I don't want her getting the wrong idea." He was trying to appease the girl, not court her.

"Noted," Sarada nodded, before leaving his office to get back to work.

Boruto sighed once she was gone and palmed his face in frustration. It seemed he couldn't catch a break. Sarada had been the wrong one to ask to send a gift to Lily. It was so like him, making a girl mad at him. He would have to fix it… somehow.

There was always something to fix.

When lunchtime came, Boruto finally had time to focus on what he was going to do to get Himawari to forgive him. He knew it had to be a step up from just a simple gift. She missed him and he missed her too. Maybe dedicating a day just to her would do it. Having never been good with these kinds of decisions though, Boruto couldn't for the life of him make a plan for what they could do, but he wanted to take her somewhere special.

A knock sounded on his door and he wrapped his half-eaten burger and wiped his hands. "Come in," he called and smiled when Shikadai stepped inside. He would definitely have some helpful ideas. "Shikadai, hey."

Shikadai was holding on to a mug filled with icecream, and he scooped some up to his mouth as he sat on the chair in front of Boruto's desk. "Didn't see you in the pantry," he said, "You missed free icecream from Sarada."

"Really?" He frowned, wondering why she would leave him out. He supposed it was only because he wasn't there and she probably didn't have time to come to his office just to give him ice cream. It would have been nice though. "Damn. Well, I'm having some issues today. Mind giving me some advice?"

He placed the mug down and leaned in closer, a smug smile on his face. "See, I knew I would only need to ask twice."

"Huh?" Boruto's brows furrowed in confusion but he decided to brush it off. Sometimes even Shikadai didn't make sense. "I'm trying to plan a date, but like a whole day. Maybe somewhere overnight? I don't want to go far or anything, but somewhere nice for sure. Any recommendations?"

"Whole day dates?" Shikadai laughed. "Shit, you got it bad. And overnight? Try going out of town, there's a new winter lodge that opened up on Fire Mountain. Fancy place, really cozy."

"Shit, you're a genius. That sounds amazing and fun." Boruto beamed at his friend before turning to his laptop to look the place up. "I'm sure she'll be happy. How've you been?"

Shikadai had a devilish look on his face. "Good, good. Supply's been running smooth, and I had a good holiday but," he sighed loudly. "Wish I could have another one, soon."

"Don't we all." Boruto mused as they webpage loaded and his blue eyes brightened. "Shit, this does look nice."

"Really nice," Shikadai nodded, picking his icecream back up and eating as he spoke. "They have a lodge good for four, and some smaller ones for two. Got a fireplace, kitchen, and everything. I suggest going for the entire weekend, while the rates are pretty low."

"You're right." He could spare the time, he deserved it and so did Himawari. "Okay, the weekend. Maybe I can get out of here early Friday." He felt much better now, knowing Himawari wouldn't be upset with him for long.

Shikadai was looking smug as fuck, even while eating his ice cream. "Proud of you, bro. Send photos. Clean ones, okay?" He snickered. "By the way, how's that Pop Star going? Inojin and Chocho's been arguing all lunch for which flowers to choose. Sarada didn't seem in the mood."

Boruto rolled his eyes but figured it didn't matter as long as the girl got her gift. "She's such a bitch." He muttered. "Ruined my morning by sending demands through her manager. A gift? Why, dude? I don't know what her deal is but she's really irritating me. It's hard not to say anything about it…" so it felt good to get that off his chest. And he knew he could trust Shikadai.

"Huh," Shikadai scooped up more icecream, finishing it off. "She looked really sweet, though. Aren't all her songs about love and shit? Doesn't Hima listen to her?"

"God, I hope not." He scoffed. "Yeah apparently she's all about romance, but she's the type to take advantage of men. I'm not going to let her get me. This gift is the last thing she'll be getting from me."

His friend didn't look too sure about that. "I don't know, bro. She looks high maintenance. Maybe this will take a little more shaking off, you know?"

"No, please don't say that." Boruto groaned as he selected the dates for one of the lodges for two. "I really wish I wasn't the one having to deal with her."

"Tough luck. Dealing with a hot popstar," Shikadai laughed. "How are you feeling, though? You were out on a sick leave yesterday, right?"

"I'm alright, just my fucking back is clawed to hell—" Boruto winced at his word vomit. Just like Shikadai to get him talking on accident. "I mean, uhh… I'm all better."

He choked on icecream and laughed. " _Clawed to hell?_ Oh fuck, dude!" Shikadai laughed loudly, throwing his head back and howling. "Shit. Now, why was Sarada out, too? Couldn't walk?"

It did take her a while to get out of bed, but Boruto wasn't about to say that. He had to fix this too. So many things to fix all the time! "That's… I didn't say _that._ I said… shit what did I say?" He groaned, knowing he was digging his own grave here. "Sarada was out? Nobody told me…"

 _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._ Of course he had to know she was out!

Shikadai shook his head from side to side, an amused smile on his face. "You know, if you're going to lie, could you at least think of something better? Your dad was out looking for you, too."

How could he lie when he was put on the spot like that. "Well… I was _sick._ And I'm totally not lying. Why would I lie? You're crazy."

"Of course, of course," Shikadai held his hands up in mock surrender. "Call me crazy but, as amusing as it is for you to not confess that you're like, in love with your direct report, just don't make things too obvious if you know what's good for you… and her." They've been joking so much since Boruto started working, but he knew Shikadai was dead serious. "I won't say anything… for now." He snickered.

"In love?" Boruto snorted. "As if! I've never been _in love_ and I never will be." And certainly not with Sarada and those sexy legs. "There's nothing to worry about, Shikadai. Nothing is going on or anything of the sort. Especially sex."

His eyebrows shot up. "Whoever said anything about _sex_?" Oh he was smug as fuck. "I didn't say anything," Shikadai was speaking slowly, exaggerating every. Single. Word. "Is there something you want to share, Boruto? Like…" he leaned in closer, "Is your back is burning from those _claw marks_?"

Boruto blanched and his face heated up like never before. "Sex? Who said sex? And what _claw marks?_ Shikadai, you had sex?" There had to be a way to save himself. Hopefully.

Shikadai laughed. "Boruto, I've had the same girl since uni. What do you think? But you're changing the topic here. We're talking about _you_. When was the last time _you_ had sex?"

"Yest— _yes._ I mean yes! Yodo, how is she?" Oh he was sweating bullets. Shikadai had to _go._

"Good." Shikadai finally calmed down. "I'll bring her to our next office hangout. She's being transferred to this city next month."

"Great! Wonderful! I'll have to order her one of those edible arrangements. None for you though." Boruto stuck his tongue out at his friend and then finally finished his booking. He had been hoping to see Sarada over the weekend, but it was only right for his sister to come first.

Shikadai snickered. "Sure," he picked up the mug and stood to leave. "Enjoy your weekend, Boruto. _Stay safe._ "

"Thanks man, I'm sure we'll have fun!" Boruto grinned and waved to Shikadai, slumping back in his chair once he was finally stepping out. He regretted the move instantly. "Shit." Damn Sarada, she was making sure he didn't forget what happened between them.

"Careful with those claw marks, bro." Shikadai laughed before he left for good and Boruto was officially dead.

.

.

.

Boruto looked over another set of reports and sighed. No matter how many times he read it, something just didn't add up. Shikadai's earlier teasing was still running through his mind, destroying the little focus he had for the day. He knew Sarada was still upset, but he had to go and ask her to get this task over with. With another deep sigh, he collected the papers and walked out of his office and straight to her desk.

It seemed like he wasn't the only one who had the idea to speak to her, and spotted Kagura hovering by her desk, a concerned look on his face.

What did that bastard want now?

"Are you feeling alright, Sarada?" Kagura asked. "I went by your place, but you were still asleep…"

Oh fuck. Right. That happened. Boruto stayed by his office door, snooping and listening in on their conversation. He hadn't mentioned it to Sarada that he spoke to Kagura that morning.

"You did?" Sarada paled. "Oh my god, I'm sorry, I forgot to text. I wasn't… umm… feeling so well."

"It's alright!" Kagura smiled. Yuck. What a poser. "Boruto told me, glad he was there to take care of you. You could have told me, you know?"

Her face went red and Boruto felt a little victory dance coming on. That's right. He was at his not girl's place taking _good_ care of her. Not you. You princely prick.

"He what?" Sarada blinked. "Kagura it isn't what it looks like I—"

"Relax, relax," Kagura held his hands up and grinned. "I didn't tell anyone and that's completely your business."

Sarada's eyes were still wide as she listened to him speak, ears burning. For a moment, Boruto wanted to step in and cut the conversation already, feeling his temper rise by the second. Just what was this fucker up to, talking to his not girl anyway?!

"I just wanted to ask…" he shied away for a moment before continuing, "If you were still up for yoga with me tonight? Would be a shame to let the passes go to waste."

Kagura was the kind of guy you just _couldn't_ hate. It made Boruto hate him even more. He felt his blood boiling and a small part of him wanted to walk over there and knock his ass out—of his not girl's life that is. If she wanted to fucking flirt with Kagura, fine. It wasn't like he cared. It wasn't like he actually _liked_ her and they were not together. She was unfortunately free to do as she pleased.

Boruto couldn't stand it.

Before she could respond, Boruto marched over to her desk and dropped the papers on her desk. Flirting, fine, _fine._ But not _here._ Not at work. At work, she was his and Kagura could kiss his ass.

"Do you mind?" Boruto gave Kagura a pointed look as he stepped between the two. That bastard really needed to back off. "I need you." He then said to Sarada, trying to school his features but he was so _mad._

Sarada jumped back, as did Kagura at the rude interruption. Her brows furrowed and she turned to face Kagura apologetically. "I'll text you later."

To which, he nodded and looked at Boruto before leaving.

She turned her chair to face him. "Did you need something? You could have sent me an IM. I would have went over."

"Yeah, I just said that I needed you." He ground out, stabbing his index finger against the report. He hated today. He could have just called her to him but he was trying to be nice. He didn't want her to be mad at him anymore, but now he didn't give a damn.

"What's the problem? I explained how to read the report in my last email." Sarada looked at the paper, all the tables perfectly color coded. "You can see here," she flipped to the last page. "I placed the legend for you. What's not to get?"

"It's not the colors, it's the numbers." Boruto sighed. He was so beyond done with today. Numbers were his thing. It made everything worse that he couldn't figure out why things weren't adding up, but he wasn't mistaken. "They're not right."

Sarada pouted, looking up at him, refusing to get up from her chair. "They can't be. I checked it. _Twice_."

"Well they _are._ " He almost smiled. She wasn't _always_ perfect. Just most of the time. "Maybe you weren't paying attention."

She scoffed. "As if. Those numbers came from finance and I checked it over. They're _fine_."

Boruto glared down still her, mouth agape. "Did I not say that they're _not_ fine?" The nerve of this girl. She so didn't turn him on. Not at all.

"That's what you're so _rudely_ accusing me of!" Her voice was rising, making passerby's look their way before scurrying along.

"I'm not accusing you, Sarada. I'm stating facts. I don't miss things like this. _Ever_." He couldn't believe she was actually arguing with him instead of figuring things out, but she was as prideful as she was difficult.

Sarada was about to erupt. He could see her shaking.

"Umm… excuse me…"

The two of them snapped their attention to the girl hiding half her face behind the folder she was holding. "If I'm intruding I can come back…"

"Namida!" Sarada stood up and pulled the girl towards Boruto. "Can you please tell Boruto that he misread the numbers?"

Boruto laughed and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked to the girl looking as if she wanted to run for the hills. "Yes, Namida, please… enlighten me."

"Umm…" the poor girl looked so scared, shifting her gaze back and forth between the two. "I came by to give you these…" she held the folder out to Sarada, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm so sorry, I missed an account! And the formula I used was wrong. The end amount didn't match up to the sales invoice. This should be correct, though."

Swiping the folder, Boruto opened it up and took a look. There it was, so right it was relieving. "Well what do you know…" He hummed and let his eyes flicker up to Sarada.

Her cheeks reddened, and grimaced. "Thanks, Namida. Please send me the soft copy and I'll rework the report for you," she flicked a glare over to Boruto. " _Sir_."

"I'll be waiting." He said and left the girls with a shake of his head. This day was truly taking him on a ride.

Boruto returned to his office and got his cellphone out to call Himawari. He hadn't received a hate-text in the last two hours, so he was starting to get worried and he supposed he could go ahead and give her a heads up for the weekend. It was already Wednesday after all.

She ignored the call, sending him to voicemail in two seconds flat. He sighed and set his phone on his desk, opening their messages and just as he expected, three dots were jumping around to tell him she was texting him. He could feel her anger through the screen.

' _I said don't call me unless you're dead. And if you're dead, you can't call.'_

Boruto paled. His sister was as frightening as his mother. Sometimes even more so. He tried to call her again, and again, she ignored him and texted again.

' _I don't like you. Leave me alone. Worst brother ever.'_

Boruto's heart plummeted and he started calling her back to back. Much like she had when he was _not_ getting his dick sucked. After the nth call, she finally picked up, without a word.

"Hima," Boruto whined. She really hurt his feelings. He always did his best for her, or at least tried. "You broke my heart… and after I got a surprise for you too."

A pouty, _'hmph'_ was all he got in response and he sighed for the unpteenth time.

"This weekend. Me and you. I'm taking you somewhere special."

There was a long pause and then finally, "how special?"

A big grin split his lips apart and Boruto finally felt a little at ease. "It's a surprise. Okay? I'll pick you up Friday around four. I'm going to get out of the office as early as I can. Pack your snow clothes."

"Okay! I'll be ready, bro!" She giggled and Boruto smiled, feeling pleased with himself. "I love you."

"I love you too. See you Friday."

"At four. Or sooner."

Boruto laughed. "Right."

.

.

.

Sarada returned with the correct report within the hour, taking Boruto by surprise when she _knocked_ before walking in. Who even does that? Knocking… not Sarada. She went to leave as soon as she handed it over, but Boruto wasn't done with her yet.

"Wait." Was all he said to stop her and he purposely made her stand there while he went over the paper. Then he finally set it down and looked at her.

"Yes?" She waited for him, face impassive.

"Better." He told her with a smile, a real smile, not one to anger her even more. "Will you be finished with everything by five?"

"Why?"

Another one word answer.

"I should be finished by then. I know it's a little early, but I'll still drive you home, even if I have to wait for you."

"I'm leaving at six, I'm going to the yoga studio."

"You're going to yoga?" _With Kagura._ His lighter mood turned darker than it had been all day. How could she even consider it?

"Yes."

"Yes?!" He gawked. She was just fucking with him. Right?

Her head tipped to the side, arms crossing on her chest. "Did I stutter?"

"Not at all, I just thought I heard you wrong." He said, a not so happy smile on his lips. "I was surprised because I had plans for yoga tonight too." _Wait, what?_

Her brow raised. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, what a coincidence. Which studio do you go to?" He asked casually.

She frowned and eyed him suspiciously. "Rebel Yoga."

"You're kidding." Boruto faked a gasp. "That sounds like the place my friend mentioned. We may just end up running into each other."

"Delightful," she responded and then turned to leave his office.

When the door was closed behind her, Boruto grabbed at his hair in panic. He didn't know shit about yoga or this studio. And who was he to mention a _friend._ Great. He had less than two hours to figure it all out.

Stupid. So fucking stupid.

One more thing for him to fix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word vomit. It's such a fun thing to have for this fic. teehee. They are going to have yoga on the next chapter, any guesses what will happen next? Who would Boruto bring with him? Let us know your best guest by leaving a review!


	17. Yoga Stretches and Cups of Cocoa

Sarada thought today would be good, especially with how well the previous day went for the two of them. Sex wasn't exactly what she anticipated to do during their not date sick leave, but… she wasn't exactly complaining, either. Even if Boruto was being so annoying, paying attention to his phone more than her half the time, he made up for it. And really did take good care of her.

That morning, she looked at herself in her mirror and gasped at all the marks he had left on her body. There were two hickeys on the left side of her neck, one right under her bra line, and another near her navel. His hands left marks on her hips as well, and her cheeks burned at the recollection of how exactly these marks came to be.

There was only one solution—wear a turtleneck sweater. Thank god it was winter. The day started out well enough, that is until he asked her to come to his office and buy flowers for that bratty pop star.

Sarada couldn't decide if he was stupid or mean. How can he ask _her_ to do such a trivial task? Flowers and arranging dinner? That was an intern's job. And if he wanted to suck up to her, he could do it his bloody self instead of rubbing it in on her face. Sarada hated having to do it, not because she was jealous, hell no. Because it was such a menial task. No other reason. Naruto's food tastes weren't exactly the best, so she had to ask other colleagues for suggestions for them to have dinner, the place she found was fancy enough and private. Naruto happily accepted the invitation she sent, but Boruto didn't respond yet. The manager called her up to confirm shortly.

To calm her rage, she asked Chocho and Inojin to decide what flower arrangement to buy and got herself a large tub of ice cream to make her feel better for lunch. As soon as she opened it up, she lost her appetite and decided to give it to her colleagues instead, opting to go for a walk to clear her head. Maybe she was overthinking this entire thing again. She really had to stop doing that.

Once she was back in the office, Kagura came to speak to her and she thought she would die. Boruto had answered her door, and if she was right, he answered it when he was half-naked and barely awake. Panic was all she felt, scrambling for an excuse, but Kagura didn't seem to mind, and she was thankful he butted out of her business with him. She would have to talk to him not to tell anyone what he saw in her apartment that day… she couldn't risk people talking about her and Boruto.

Not that there was anything to talk about anyway.

What pissed Sarada off more was the way Boruto so rudely interrupted her and Kagura's conversation. Walking up to her in a tissy and accusing her of getting her report wrong. In all her years of working in this company, she had _never_ made a mistake with numbers.

And then Namida came… and proved her wrong.

Oh. That smug look on Boruto's face as so annoying and she wanted nothing more than to smack if off his lips with her own lips… wait, what? No. Smack if off with her foot is more like it. Yes, much better.

She needed to take a lot of calming breaths before getting to that report again and was thankful for the distraction when Kagura texted her, confirming their yoga run later after work. Getting on the mat and sweating sounded like a good idea. Nice way to collect herself again, because she had been so out of it lately.

Letting Boruto drive her home, stay in her apartment and worst… hold her hand.

Shit. What was happening to her?

.

.

.

Later that evening, Kagura came by her desk, already in his yoga attire. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," Sarada stood from her desk and closed her laptop. "I think I'll change in the studio."

He grinned. "Alright, let's go."

The two of them walked to his car, and Sarada hopped in, waiting for Kagura to start and drive out of the parking lot. He was the one who carried most of the conversation, and Sarada was thankful, as she wasn't really in the mood. One thing great about yoga was that she didn't have to mind anyone else. Just her and her practice.

As soon as they got to the building, Sarada headed for the changing room and pulled on her clothes. She cringed at seeing the hickeys on her body and prayed that no one would confront her about it. Her yoga pants barely hid the hickey near her belly button, but her sports bra did absolutely nothing to hide the one on her neck, and she grimaced upon noticing there was a tiny one right at the top of her breasts, too.

Well fuck.

Can't back out now due to the marks. Even if it really was embarrassing. Way too embarrassing.

Sarada tied her hair up in a ponytail and put on her contact lenses. The lady next to her gave her a side-eye, and Sarada looked at her, too. She quickly looked away and ran out of the bathroom.

That famous Uchiha glare won every time. She made a mental note to thank her Papa for them.

Pulling her bag over her shoulder, Sarada walked, already barefoot to the reception. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Boruto… pulling away from a hug with another woman.

Who the fuck was she supposed to be?

When he said he would be at the same studio she thought he was pulling her leg, but he was really here. In a muscle shirt and yoga shorts and… oh. My. God.

Sarada snickered when she saw her claw marks at the edge of his shoulder, and some were peeking out right under his hairline. Good to know she wasn't the only one suffering from evidence from the previous day.

She walked right by them, only to look at Boruto from the corner of her eye, a smirk on her face. It was satisfying to see that his gaze followed her as she walked… but she couldn't help but frown when she saw the woman again.

Sarada had never seen her before. Certainly not in any of the picture frames in his office. She had long dark blond hair, brown eyes and… she was hot, having a slim figure and also wore yoga pants and a sports bra. This chick looked like a regular.

 _Hmph_. No matter. Tonight wasn't about her, _or_ Boruto. Sarada was going to enjoy her time on her mat and she wasn't going to let _anyone_ distract her.

Or so she thought.

Kagura stopped talking to his friend, and walked in with her to the studio, taking a seat next to her mat. He was quick to lie down on his back and close his eyes.

At least now, she could have some peace… until Boruto took the mat next to hers, and the girl he was with earlier took the mat in front of him. Her lower lip jutted out… There was only one reason why that girl chose the mat in front of Boruto.

Whenever they would do stretches, he would have a nice, clear view of her body and ass.

Fuck that bitch. That wasn't the point of going to yoga.

"Fancy meeting you here." He smiled his best smile at her, blue eyes bright.

Sarada crossed her legs in front of her and smirked. "My father told me not to talk to stalkers," she whispered.

"Right. Smart man." Boruto chuckled. "But I'm not a stalker."

That made her smile. Sure he wasn't. He was just here to make sure she didn't do anything funny with someone else. This boy was so clingy and he was obviously in love with her. He needed to suck it up and confess. "Then do you need something, or are you _still_ following me?" Her dark eyes glittered with mischievousness. It was only a matter of time…

"Not tonight, sorry. I told you, I already had these plans. With Ashina." He said, turning his gaze pointedly to the woman in front of him.

Well, fuck _this_ bitch. All the playfulness in her eyes disappeared and she looked ahead, a pout forming on her lips. "Right. And I have plans with Kagura." She closed her eyes and straightened her back, willing herself to relax and start her breathing exercises because only god knew how pissed off she was right now and needed to be calmed down.

It wasn't long until the yoga instructor came upfront and introduced herself. She asked if anyone was a first-timer, and no one raised their hands, not even Boruto. The instructor smiled, pleased that she had a knowledgeable class. She wasted no time getting started, going first with floor stretches and leg races. Sarada's body burned, but it felt good, and she was feeling the heat in no time.

Taking a quick look at her side, Boruto was doing just fine and her cheeks burned. Damn. He looked good. His arms were flexed under him, and his legs were muscular, blue eyes trained to the ceiling, concentrating on the workout.

Concentrating. Right. Her and the mat, nothing else. She had to get him out of her mind or else she wouldn't be getting the best out of her workout.

The next exercise was to catch their breath in cat and cows, and Sarada nearly growled seeing Ashina's form. Damn that woman was hot. Her ass in perfect view for Boruto to see. It took her longer than expected to calm her breathing.

Once the instructor was happy with their form, they proceeded to take a plank, and Sarada was feeling proud of herself for still having good form. She looked over at Kagura, and he was doing splendidly. Kagura had always had a slim but well-built body, and he carried himself with ease, breathing normally and even.

And then… she looked over at Boruto and her arms shook.

Boruto's arms were flexed yet again, his breathing also even, eyes closed. She could see the sweat bead on his forehead, and some tiny scratch marks peek under his shirt.

Fuck.

Sarada looked back down on her mat and took a deep breath.

"Remember, if this is too much for you, you can always take child's pose and rest…" the instructor reminded. "We will stay in plank for five more breaths."

Sarada internally cursed. Like hell she was going to rest. She wasn't going to give up. Never. Taking in another breath, although shaky, she fixed her form and lifted her hips higher, having her core and thighs do more work. Boruto was too distracting. She didn't need him in her head, but it was so hard to get the image and feeling of him in her.

Her eyes snapped open. Fucking hell. Sarada gritted her teeth. Why was getting him out of her head so hard?

As their poses progressed, Sarada did her best _not_ to look at Boruto. But his form in Warrior 2 and Reverse Warrior was so… attractive. God. He had to stop being so attractive. She was starting to lose count how many times she had to swallow in order not to drool.

The routine was fairly intense, but nothing Sarada couldn't manage. She almost lost her balance in tree pose a few times because she couldn't help but try to steal a look at how he was doing. Boruto always took the harder variations and although he was shaking at times, he never lost his balance, not even in tree pose.

"Remember, the key to tree pose is to look at one thing only. Really zone in on it and don't move your gaze so you can keep your balance."

Sarada hated that Boruto's gaze was lowered. No doubt looking at Ashina's peachy and plump ass.

Fuck these two.

"Okay, now shake it off," the instructor shifted from foot to foot. "We will start with some partner work for the cool down. So everyone, get a partner."

For some absurd reason, Sarada looked to her right, and Boruto looked to his left. Their eyes locking for a few seconds but were drawn away when Ashina put her hand on the crook of Boruto's elbow, and Kagura held on to her shoulder. She looked at Kagura and smiled, moving over to his side of the mat.

"Okay, class, sit down and open up your legs, facing your partner. Now, you can change how wide or how narrow your legs will be, but you have to be close enough to hold on to each other's hands."

Sarada sat down and opened up her legs, Kagura doing the same, feet brushing as they adjusted and held their hands out to hold on to each other.

In this position, Sarada could see Boruto… he was facing and looking right at her, despite having Ashina in front of him. The girl was giggling and talking about something she couldn't quite hear.

"You alright, Sarada?" Kagura asked.

She tore her gaze away from Boruto and looked at Kagura. "Yes."

"Now," the instructor started. "Making sure you have a good hold, one person has to go first, pull your partner and make sure you bend from your waist and not your back, okay? Really feel that stretch on your inner thighs as you go."

Kagura pulled Sarada towards him, and she slowly followed, reaching nearly all the way down. It burned, but it felt good. Slowly, he helped her back to a seated position and it was her turn to pull him down. Sarada couldn't help but look at Boruto, bending down closer to Ashina and she could feel her blood boil.

She scoffed and chided herself the moment she did. Fuck.

Once Kagura was back up, he asked how she was feeling, and Sarada brushed it off. The next few stretches were side bends, going in opposite directions. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop looking at Boruto, and he knew she was looking…

They were looking at each other, after all.

It was starting to feel hot all over again, and Sarada was relieved when their partner stretches ended, going back to their own mats to really cool down. When she was flat on her back, she closed her eyes, thankful for the rest. Her body felt good slowing down but her heart was still in chaos.

Just what was Boruto Uzumaki doing to her?

.

.

.

After class, Sarada went to the bathroom to get changed, opting for a sweater and joggers, practically ready for bed. She cursed at seeing the hickey on her neck yet again, but no one said anything and that's all that she really cared about. Once she walked out, she found Boruto and Kagura chatting in the lobby with Ashina.

Sarada stopped right next to Kagura, a tight smile on her lips. "Hello."

"Sarada, this is Ashina," Kagura introduced a warm smile on his face. "Boruto's friend from Konoha U."

"Hi," she smiled and extended her hand to shake.

Ashina also greeted her back and smiled at Boruto. "I hope you don't mind, Kagura will be taking me home, and Boruto will be taking you."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're coming with me," Boruto said plainly, grabbing her hand and tugging her closer to him.

Her eyes narrowed at him and then she looked back at Kagura, who only waved and walked the other way to help Ashina with her bag.

What the actual fuck? Was this all a setup?

Her anger flared, even yoga couldn't calm her temper. "I'm walking." She pried her hand out his hold and walked towards the elevator.

Boruto followed behind her calmly. "Sure you can walk… to my car."

"No." She crossed her arms and waited for the elevator, thankful no one was around to hear them.

"Don't try me, Sarada. I will drive you home and you're gonna be happy about it." He huffed and crossed his arms too.

She crossed her arms across her chest and blatantly ignored him, pretending like she didn't hear a thing as she walked into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. Once the door closed, Boruto moved unnecessarily close to her, until their arms were touching.

"You're really cute when you pout, Sarada." He told her at her ear, smiling.

Sarada looked away, hiding the blush forming on her cheeks. He was so cute… he had to stop being so cute. It wasn't fair. "Hn."

"Wanna stop at Ninbucks on the way home? I'll buy you hot chocolate."

"... no."

"Are you sure?" He leaned into her, a wide smile on his face. "It's on the way."

"... okay fine." Damn her for being so easy. But her lower lip still jutted out in a pout.

For the record, she was still mad at him. And there was no way in hell that one cup of hot chocolate was going to make her forgive him.

The drive was quiet and Sarada was still being stubborn. He had been so mean to her all day, and it was only right he made it up to her. But one cup isn't going to cut it, no way. She didn't even line up with him, only sulked on the couch, arms still tightly crossed against her chest, that pout looking permanent.

Boruto placed the cup in front of her on the table and sat down on the couch next to her. "Sarada, you've been pouting for a long time… I'm getting worried your face may get stuck like that." He joked and poked her cheek playfully before turning his attention to his coffee.

"Hmph," she took her cup and held it close to her face, still not wanting to say anything to him. "Even if it did, I'd still be cute." Woah. Where did that come from? She really needed to calm down. Agreeing with herself, she took a nice long sip of her drink.

"Well, you got me there." He said softly and then had a sip of his coffee. "So you're mad at me… what's it gonna take for you to forgive me?" He turned his head back to look at her, propping his cheek in his hand and his elbow on the table.

Sarada peeked at him and steeled her heart. God. He was so cute. It had to be illegal to be that cute. Thinking of what to say, her thoughts drifted to why she was angry with him in the first place.

 _He's annoying._ Check.

 _He was mean to me._ Okay.

 _Asked me to do small things for Lily._ Fair.

 _And he brought another girl to yoga._ Fuck that.

 _I'm jealous._ Woah what? No.

No.

Sarada scoffed. "I can give you a list."

"I'm listening."

Was he serious? She put her cup down and turned to face him on the couch. It was so hard to stay mad at him when he was looking at her so tenderly. "You're so annoying." Even if she said it with a straight face, she couldn't help but giggle, not believing she actually said that to her boss.

"Annoying enough to be forgiven?" He asked hopefully.

"You're as persistent as a stalker." She scrunched her nose up at him.

"No, I'm not," He argued quickly, cheeks puffing out as he turned his head straight. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because you've been following me since day one. Why do you even do that?"

"I don't know. Why do you let me?"

She bit her lower lip, stopping herself from smiling. "I don't know. Maybe I'm afraid you'll fire me, sir."

Boruto stiffened at that and looked back to her once again, eyes widening slightly. "You're joking… right?"

She blinked a few times. Was she? "Maybe?"

"Oh…" his face fell and he appeared to turn thoughtful. "Well, you don't have to worry about that."

"I hope not…" she muttered. She liked her job and wouldn't want to leave. "Anyway," she picked her drink back up and took a sip. "I'm still mad at you. Your puppy eyes aren't going to cut it for me to forgive you."

Boruto nodded, assuming as much. "Gifts then?"

"You can't buy forgiveness!" Sarada wished they were back on her couch, just so she could hit him with a pillow.

"Damn… what can I do then?" He exaggerated a sigh and picked his coffee up for another sip.

Her eyes trailed from his hand, the cup and up to his lips. Well… there was one thing. But not here. "Can I go home now?"

"What?" He frowned and set his coffee back down and glanced at her cup. "We haven't even finished our drinks though…"

"Okay. After, then." She sighed and slumped down on the couch.

"Yeah. I won't keep you." He grumbled, shifting in his seat slightly and cupping his mug in both hands.

Being next to him felt so comforting, making it even harder for her to stay mad. She peeked up at him again and noticed the back of his neck still a little red. "Doesn't your back hurt?" She grinned.

"Not at all. I consider them friendly reminders." He said, turning smug at the question. "You got me good though."

She giggled and her hand came up to her neck. "I could say the same for you."

He smiled and looked to her hand at her neck. "I saw." He said and then turned in his seat, his hand slipping under her sweater, fingers circling a spot on her lower tummy. "And here too."

Sarada squeaked at his touch and her other hand came to hold his. "Oh my god stop it!"

They were in public, what was he thinking! Her cheeks burned but loved how warm his hand felt on her skin.

"Calm down. It's not like I was touching you in any… intimate areas." He laughed quietly and pulled his hand away.

Her hand slipped back on her tummy, frowning at losing physical contact. She had to stop thinking about these things. It was doing things to her heart and making her tummy do backflips.

"... right." Sarada went back to her drink, sipping quietly.

"I'm sorry." His apology came out in a near whisper, so low she almost missed it. It was unexpected too. "I wasn't thinking…"

 _Neither am I…_ she thought. Her expression softened as she leaned on his shoulder, releasing a heavy sigh.

They sat in silence like that for a while as they finished their drinks. Once it was empty, they stood to leave, Boruto leading the way. As soon as they were outside of Ninbucks, a cold wind blew, and Sarada shivered. What was she thinking, saying she was going to walk home. The two walked side by side, arms and knuckles brushing as they walked to the parking lot. By the third time their knuckles brushed, Sarada extended her pinky out to his, wanting to hold his hand.

Whether Boruto knew she wanted it or not, she didn't know, but he took her hand in his either way. "Your hand is freezing." He scoffed, walking a little faster.

Boruto's hands were the exact opposite. Despite the cold weather, they were still so warm. She matched his pace and held on to his hand a little tighter as they made their way to his car. He opened the passenger side for her and she hopped in, blowing on her hands as she waited for him to settle in.

It was still so cold out these days but Sarada was thankful Boruto kept things nice and warm for her.

Boruto started the car and drove out of the parking lot, keeping his eyes on the road until they reached the main street. Sarada kept her hands on her lap, trying to warm them up on her thighs. Boruto glanced over at her hands and then laid his right over them, helping her with his own warmth. He shouldn't have been so warm.

"I should have warmed the car first." He said in an apologetic tone.

Sarada held on to his hand with both of hers, and shook her head. "It's okay. I feel much better now."

"Good."

Wrapping her small hands around his, she brought it up to her cheek and closed her eyes. He really shouldn't have been so warm, but Sarada was so grateful he is. They didn't talk much until he pulled up to her driveway, and Sarada picked up her bags. Boruto was already out of the car, opening up her door for her.

As they walked up to her apartment, Boruto held on to her hand the entire time, only letting go once they reached her door.

"So… can I pick you up for work in the morning? I'll have the car nice and toasty."

"Morning?" She scrunched up her nose. "You're always at work so early."

"So? That's good, getting to work early… Riding with me will make it worthwhile." He said cheekily.

Sarada rolled her eyes. Wow, this guy was really full of himself. "Oh, I'm sure you will," she replied sarcastically. "I'm still mad at you, though."

Boruto laughed softly and then suddenly leaned in, placing a tender, lingering kiss to her lips before pulling back. "I'll be here by six. You can forgive me in the morning."

There was no time to react. Sarada just stood there as he grinned at her and waved before turning around and walking back to his idling car. She stood outside, watching him as he got in and drove away, nowhere near feeling as cold as she did earlier.

A shaky hand came up to her warm lips…

She was so _not_ in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts on how the next morning is going to play out? Do you think Sarada's a morning person? Teehee. Please do leave us a review! And thank you for your support. <3


	18. Breakfast Not Dates and Snow Queens

Boruto woke up just before five, had his shower, got dressed, drank his first cup of coffee, let his car warm-up and then headed to Sarada's apartment to pick her up. Right on time, at six exactly, he was knocking on her door.

And knocking.

And _knocking._

_What the hell?_

He glared at the door, knocking harder. He wasn't early, she shouldn't have still been in the shower or getting dressed. When she finally opened the door, her eyes literally closed, hair a mess, and still in her pajamas, Boruto learned she had still been sleeping.

The _audacity_.

"Sarada! It's after six… you're not ready?" He groaned and stepped into her apartment, forcing her back. Boruto closed the door, staring at her still half-asleep face. God, she was so cute. "Wake up, get your ass in gear. We got places to be," He said as he started ushering her towards her room.

She groaned and mumbled things, as if she was still asleep, and leaned into him as they walked. Her eyes stayed closed. "It's not… morning yet…" she complained.

Not morning yet? Ugh, he so wanted to scold her, but he really couldn't when she was like this. "It is morning. You were supposed to be ready by six, remember?" His tone had softened, along with his heart.

Just what was this girl doing to him?

Sarada shook her head and wrapped her arms around his middle. "Warm," she sighed, starting to fall asleep on her feet.

"Sarada," Boruto sighed but was quick to wind his own arms around her for support. "You need a shower and coffee… I can help." With _both._ Wait no.

Just the coffee.

"Nooooo," she whined, clinging on to him tightly. "Sleep. It's not… morning yet!"

"Aw, such a whiny baby." Boruto cooed.

In one quick move, she released her hold on him and stood up straight, eyes opening by half. "Stop mocking me, oh my god," she grumbled and shoved him lightly out of the way, marching into her bathroom and slamming the door shut. Inside, he could hear her mutter a string of expletives, the products and items inside the bathroom banging around.

"I never said I didn't like it," Boruto grumbled to himself with a smile, turning on his heel to go and prepare her coffee.

He waited a bit, finishing a cup of his own before he fixed hers. Of course, it would take her time to shower, but he didn't give her longer than twenty minutes before he carried the coffee back to her room. Her complaints could be heard long before he arrived at her door.

She was cold. It was too early. She was still whining and it amused the blond. His amusement died the instant he caught sight of her though, standing at her dresser and going through one of the drawers in nothing but a towel.

Sarada bent down to choose something from a drawer, the edge of the towel teetering a little too high for Boruto's comfort. Once Sarada was upright, his eyes caught what was in her hand… a tiny pair of lacey pink panties. She was still complaining and hadn't noticed his presence as she opened up a cabinet, her upper thigh peeking from under the towel.

Once she found a sweater and a pair of pants, Sarada pulled them out and hung them on the cabinet's knob. She dropped the towel on the floor as she bent down to put on her panties, shifting her hips from side to side to make sure the band fit on right. The towel sitting on the top of her head was the next to go, pulling it off in one smooth motion, wet hair falling past her shoulders and down her back.

She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a pink bra to match. With more mumbling, she pulled her hair to one side as she hooked the bra on, slightly moving to the side, giving Boruto a view of her side boob, before she turned her back on him again, slipping the straps up her arms.

Finally, she turned around facing him and stopped in her tracks, eyes going wide. "Have you—shit. How long have you been standing there?"

"Definitely long enough," Boruto admitted, thanking the heavens that she hadn't been ready when he arrived. Except now little Boruto wanted to play and he couldn't. It was a cruel but beautiful world.

Her cheeks turned pink and she picked up a pillow from the bed, threatening to throw it at him, but stopped when she saw the mug in his hands. "That better be coffee."

"It is. And it's perfect. I know how you like it." Talking about coffee was fun, it made Sarada blush more and made him grin. He walked over to her and held out the mug. "Here you go, Princess."

Sarada's lower lip jutted out, but she didn't take the mug, instead of putting on the white, fluffy sweater on over her head before taking the mug. "I think you've seen enough this morning." She looked down for a quick second before taking a sip from her coffee and turning around to settle the mug on her dresser. "You might want to take care of that." She smiled slyly at him.

"If you're so worried about it, you can take care of it for me." He said teasingly.

Oh, but he was so serious.

She snorted. "Putting me to work this early? You wish." However, she walked over to him, still in nothing but her sweater and panties and stopped right when their chests were brushing. "I do owe you something though," she whispered before placing her hands on his chest, going on her tiptoes, and planting a soft kiss—not on his lips—but at the corner of his mouth. "For the drink last night." She smiled and then walked away to put on her pants.

It wasn't right. It wasn't just his dick reacting to Sarada, but _all_ of him. His heart was beating faster and even though he didn't understand it, he knew it wasn't just from how much she turned him on. Not that it was anything like _love_ or stupid nonsense like that. Maybe just like, extra arousal? Could be coming down with something.

"I'll wait in the living room." He said as he left her to finish getting ready.

Sarada had him fucked up. There was no denying it. It didn't make sense, but it was true. He sat on the couch to wait for her, checking the time on his phone. It was already twenty minutes to seven. He should have been in his office ten minutes ago and yet here he was, on Sarada's couch, trying to get his erection to go away.

It was hard to think about things to turn him off when all he could smell was her and all he could see was her body. _Shit._ It wasn't going away. At least not until his phone rang and his mom's face showed on the caller ID. Oh, that was a quick drop, but one he welcomed.

"Mom?" He answered, surprised to hear from her so early in the morning.

"Good morning, Boruto. Are you already in the office?" She asked in her usual soft and sweet tone.

"I'm on my way." He said, not considering it a lie. Maybe stretching the truth a bit, but he _was_ trying to get to work. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. Himawari told me about your weekend trip and I just wanted to talk to you about it."

That had him rolling his eyes, already knowing where this was going. "We'll be fine mom. I know what I'm doing."

"She packed all of her snow clothes…"

"All of them? It doesn't matter, we're just going skiing. For beginners." He told her reassuringly and she laughed. His mother was one to be overprotective at times. "I just want to make her happy…"

"I know Boruto…" she said, voice trailing off and Boruto closed his eyes, a sullenness washing over him.

"I have to go. We'll be fine, okay? I love you."

When he finally hung up, he shoved his phone in his pocket and sighed, fussing with his hair. He hated reminders and his mother was good at giving them to him, even when she wasn't trying to.

Sarada quietly came up to him from behind and whispered in his ear. "Problem taken cared of?"

"Were you hoping it wasn't?" He asked, glad to have her pulling him out of his head.

She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and kissed his temple. "No, I was just hoping to tease you a bit."

At least now she was awake… and not complaining anymore.

"I'll take a rain check," Boruto said, smiling wider at having her so close and so _sweet._ "We really need to get going."

Sarada groaned and whined playfully. "Do we have toooo?" She rested her head to the side on his shoulder, and pouted at him, her nose nearly touching his cheek. "Aren't you going to get me breakfast first?"

The whiny baby was back and it was too cute. He couldn't bring himself to move. "Yes we do, and of course. You're the princess after all."

She giggled and kissed his cheek. Gosh. Was she always this sweet in the morning? He had to come by more often. "Waffles?" She asked, a smile on her face.

"Sure, as long as they're chickenless." He mused.

Her arms wound a little tighter around him, laughing lightly and still not making a move to leave. She snuggled up a little closer to him, her nose brushing his neck. "Good morning."

Heart palpitating, Boruto blinked ahead, ears heating up. "Yeah… morning." He didn't think he would ever get to work… but he didn't care either. Not now.

She also made no move to leave, but took a deep breath and sighed, her warm breath tickling his neck. Sarada planted a soft kiss on his nape before standing upright. "I'll just get my bag and we can go." Her footsteps receded, and Boruto heard some things in her room move around.

Standing up to make sure he didn't get held up on the couch again, Boruto walked to the door and slid his hands in his pockets, staring down the hallway as he waited for her return. She only took a moment and then the two of them left her apartment, walking out to his still-running car. He'd forgotten all about it. As he always did, he opened the door for her to get in, feeling the heat from inside hit him heavily.

"Well… extra toasty." He laughed at the way Sarada's face scrunched up and she hurried to turn the heat down.

"More like a furnace," she laughed.

"At least you won't be cold." He pokes out his lips playfully and then closed her door to walk around and get inside. It had already cooled down considerably, but whoa was it hot. He got on the road without wasting any time, his right hand laying over her thigh as he drove. "So, waffles?"

She hummed and placed her hand over his. "Yes, with bacon and eggs, please. No chicken because you'll judge me again."

"No, I wouldn't." He said with a short, soft laugh. "Never."

"And for you? Another burger?" She teased. Oh, she was judging.

"Burger for breakfast?" He asked as if he was actually considering it. He laughed hard when she swatted his hand. "I'm kidding, I'll wait and have my burger for lunch, thank you."

"Breakfast burgers exist, you know? With egg and all," she smiled. "I suppose you've never tried them?"

Boruto almost slammed on the breaks. "Don't you go telling burger lies, Sarada." His eyes narrowed. If there was such a thing, he would know. Boruto has a passion for burgers and would try any. There had never been one he didn't like.

"I'm not lying!" She giggled. "Take a left here. I know a nice place."

Though he was a bit suspicious, Boruto took the left and followed her directions to the small diner, a place he'd never been before. Thankfully it didn't appear overly busy, but there were at least a dozen cars in the parking lot. They left the car and headed in, Boruto taking Sarada's hand in his the instant it was within reach.

"Are we going to take the food to go?" He asked carefully. He should have been at the office forever ago, but if she wanted to dine in, they would dine in.

She looked at him for a while, asking shyly. "I don't know… maybe I should ask my boss if I can come in a little late first." And then her face broke out into a grin. "We don't have a meeting in the morning, though. But we can get takeaway if you want to."

"Actually, I think I'd rather eat here." He said, giving in to his desires even if he really shouldn't have. He couldn't help it, he wanted to have time with her like this.

Not a date. Definitely not. But just, breakfast before work.

.

.

.

Friday came and as promised, Boruto arrived at home to pick up Himawari by four o'clock. He was fifteen minutes early, actually, and carrying a teddy bear half his size. Himawari was so excited, she hugged him and the bear at once and insisted Mr. Brown join them on their trip. Boruto didn't have the heart to tell her no.

Boruto really owes Shikadai for this, the resort was amazing, beautiful, calming and homey. Their lodge was surrounded by trees and endless snow, fully equipped and stocked with anything they could need. It was a little more _couply_ than Boruto cared for, but he figured that may have something to do with Sarada.

She kept popping into his head. It wasn't right. His focus should have been on Himawari instead. This time was hers and nobody else's. Their first night was spent in their lodge after they'd gone out for dinner. After that, they settled in, bundling up on the couch with the fire going, sipping hot chocolate (and coffee for Boruto) while watching a movie.

They didn't truly watch the movie though, Himawari was too excited about going skiing the next day, and everything else they could possibly do. Since they had the entire weekend to do anything they wanted, she was making silly requests, like wanting to build a snow queen. Not a _snowman_ , but a _snow queen._ His sister could really be too much sometimes, but Boruto loved her from the bottom of his heart.

On Saturday they did everything she wanted. They had pancakes and milk for breakfast and then went straight to the ski area to have a go at it. It was amusing and downright embarrassing at times. Luckily, Himwari struggled a lot more than Boruto did, finding it near impossible to keep her balance. The blond was able to at least do that much, but he did wipe out more than he would like to admit.

Overall, it was fun. They laughed a lot and got out most of their energy—and that was truly saying something for Himawari.

The ski lift had been one of the most exciting things for her, but she still held on to Boruto throughout the ride, even with a smile, she was still a little uncertain about the whole thing. After they had their fill of skiing, they went back to their lodge to warm up and take a break, but Himawari stopped Boruto by his sleeve before they ever could get inside and all it took was a single look for him to agree to build the snow queen.

Himawari was particular and had even brought things along to help complete the snow queen, apparently planning in advance. It was more work for Boruto than actual fun, but it was worth it to see the smile on his sister's face. He would do anything for her, anything to make her smile like that, anything as long as she wouldn't be upset with him.

Eventually, they did warm up inside for a while, playing cards and catching up. Boruto didn't expect Himawari to start questioning him, but it was so like her. He wasn't exactly pleased with the interrogation, especially since Himawari was almost impossible to lie to.

Why did she want to know about Sarada of all things?

Anything else would have been okay.

_Why Sarada?_

"When are you going to introduce your girlfriend to me?" She asked casually as if asking what day of the week it was.

"Not my girlfriend. Sarada is just… my friend." _Kinda._

"Sarada?" She grinned slyly. "I never said a name."

 _Again with word vomit?_ Boruto supposed this was who he was these days. A word vommitter. "You were talking about her, don't pretend otherwise. She's not my girlfriend. You can meet her though and ask her yourself. She'll tell you quicker than me."

" _Me_?" She feigned surprise. "Talking about _her_?" She held a hand to her chest. " _Never_. But now that we are, do tell me about her!" She grinned.

"Not my girlfriend." Boruto huffed, rolling his eyes. "But, Sarada is… hard working. Real prideful and smart. Sometimes she's really cute, sometimes she's annoying but in a good way. She's beautiful… I mean, maybe… if you're into legs and whatnot." Boruto inwardly cringed, wondering why he rambled so easily to his sister.

" _Legs_ ," Himawari's brows raised. "Of all the things you mentioned her legs." Her grin was too wide, too happy. "Do you like her?"

"Whoa, definitely not. What? _What?_ Pft. Not a chance." Shit, who was he kidding? He was crazy about her.

"You spent Christmas Eve with her," she said. "And take her home…" she then looked at him. "Have you slept with her?"

Boruto flinched, heart lurching into his throat. He couldn't spout out a lie like he so desperately wanted to and he knew by the look she was giving him that his hesitation was answer enough. He couldn't lie to her, so he sighed and said, "A little."

Himawari's eyes went wide. "A _little_?" She screeched. "Don't lie to me!"

"Okay, yes!" He whined, raising his voice to match hers. Why was she going off? It was honestly expected though.

Himawari screamed. "Shika was riiight!" She jumped up and shook his arm. "Oh my gooood! Finally getting laid!"

"Ugh, stop." He felt nauseous just listening to her. "We're not talking about this and you just forget what you heard. As I said, she's _not_ my girlfriend." She didn't even want to be.

"But you've _slept_ with her," she reiterated. "Take her _home_ ," she exaggerated. "Oh my god. Have you done it in your office?"

Too much. She was too much.

The way too personal question reminded Boruto of her sprawled out on his desk, her legs spread wide and his face buried between them.

Whoa—holy shit. Back up.

"NO WE HAVE NOT!" Boruto nearly screamed, face turning a dangerous shade of red.

"Bro," she smiled ominously. " _Don't lie to me_."

There was no way in hell he was going into any details. "Not lying." He said quickly. They didn't have sex. He just… did some things.

She pouted. "You have to up your game. Have you confessed yet?" She gasped. "Has she confessed?"

"There's nothing to confess." Boruto tried to reason with her. "Why would either of us confess? What are we going to confess?" _Confess._ It was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard.

Unless…

"You think she likes me?"

Himawari hummed. "I don't know. What does she say to you all the time?"

"I don't know. She's so confusing! She doesn't like me."

He might have said that, but he really didn't believe it.

She wanted him.

"Aww," Hima pouted. "Does she say she hates you? Is it because you're her boss?" She gasped. "Does she like someone else?"

Boruto pouted too. "She hates me. Calls me a stalker, always going on about me following her. And even said she was worried about me firing her. Also… there is this one bastard…"

"Ooohh…" Hima inched forward. "Is he hot?"

"I'm my humble opinion?" Boruto asked, rolling his eyes. "He's… _pretty_." Definitely not hot. "He's so Mister Perfect. Even caught me at her place and _still_ didn't back off. He wants her." And it pissed him off so much.

"You… were at… her place?" Himawari's eyes went wide and she screamed. "AND SHE ISN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"What?!" He yelled back. "It wasn't—we weren't… we were _sick._ "

Himawari's happy face melted into a dangerous frown. "I'm getting sick, bro… _sick of all this bullshit_."

 _Fuck._ "W-well… you're the one that brought it up. I don't want to talk about this anymore." He crossed his arms and looked away from her.

"Well, you're _gonna._ " She demanded. "Sick, you say? Who even does that? So you're staying at her place, spending Christmas Eve with her, taking her home and even ignoring _me_ , but she's _not_ your girlfriend."

"That about sums it up." Boruto nodded. It is what it is, there was no changing the facts.

They were not together.

Himawari wasn't happy about it.

She wasn't going to let it go. They argued about it well into the night and even the next morning over breakfast. Finally, things calmed down and Sarada was dropped, at least until that afternoon when Boruto dropped Himawari off at home. She gave him her harshest glare and it was scary. Boruto could only cower back as she demanded he grow a pair and _do the right thing._

It wasn't right for it all to fall on him though.

Boruto had nothing to confess.

.

.

.

Monday, back to work, back to reality. It was a typical Monday, Boruto had picked Sarada up for work and the event went much like it did on Thursday and Friday the week before. They had breakfast together before coming in and hadn't seen each other since. After leaving early, Boruto needed to get caught up on some things and he'd been focused on his tasks when just halfway into the lunch hour, a frantic knock sounded on his office door and without waiting for an answer, Shikadai came in.

He looked… panicked.

Shikadai _never_ looked panicked.

Boruto felt anxiety wash over him and he quickly stood from his seat. "Shikadai, what's going on?"

Whatever it was, it had to be bad.

"Shit, Boruto… I'm sorry." He said, brows furrowed and lips mulling together. "I fucked up. Sarada knows…"

Boruto had no idea what he was talking about, but he still felt the blood draining from his face.

_What does Sarada know that could make Shikadai look like this?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the drama. What on earth could Sarada know to have cool-headed Shikadai so worked up? Let us know by leaving Tyy and I a review!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kairi and Tyy


	19. Runaway

Sarada came to work with a wide smile on her face, despite it being the start of another work week. She already had her coffee on her, and immediately got to work. Ever since Boruto's been picking her up before work she also got to work a little earlier each time. He was doing things to her… and she liked it.

Having him around was always so much fun and comforting for her. Boruto's always been so sweet, helping her prepare breakfast or driving her around and keeping her hands warm.

Even if they were… _close_ after and before work hours, they were still very much professional while they were at the office. They didn't even chat whenever they passed by each other, or have lunch together. It was business as usual, and Sarada preferred it this way, thankful that they could keep their personal lives separate.

The good weekend that she had with her parents also added to her good mood, spent Saturday at home and then shopping and watching a movie, and her uncles coming over for dinner. It was perfect to unwind, and although her mother teased her a lot, Sarada was happy she was able to evade all the questions. Her two uncles were quick to come to her defense, should she need any. Those two were just as bad as her father. It made her smile just thinking about it.

Chocho and Inojin were out today for some market research, and Sarada wasn't able to prepare any lunch for herself or bring some of the food that her mother insisted take with her. Despite missing some good homemade food, Sarada felt like today was a good day to go buy something heavier than a sandwich and she bundled up in her coat and scarf again and headed out, in search of something good and warm to fill her tummy.

The snow was still falling and piling on the side streets, people all bundled up and walking around as fast as they could to get away from the cold. Even if Sarada didn't like the cold too much, she found winter to be beautiful and it had its own charm as well. Entering into a coffee shop, she bought some pasta and a hot cup of tea. On her way back, she spotted a familiar friend taking a drag while sitting at the park bench. Lunch outside didn't sound like too much of a bad idea.

"Hey, Shikadai!" Sarada grinned and walked over, plopping on the seat next to him. "Out for a smoke break?"

"Yeah," Shikadai grinned at her slyly. "How was your weekend, Sarada? Snowy?"

"Oh, yeah, had lots." Sarada opened up pasta and fished around for the fork as she spoke. Her parents recently moved to a house up in the mountains, and it was quiet and nice. Definitely the kind of "retirement home" her father liked. Her mother had some qualms about it being too quiet, and too far from Sarada, but she was just happy to be with her husband. "How about you?"

"Eh, boring, let's talk about you, though. How did you find the lodge? Anything interesting? Boruto was really excited about it, thought he might have booked the best one for you two."

Sarada blinked and put her food down. "Excuse me? Boruto?"

Shikadai laughed. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to say anything. I owe Boruto one back in uni, besides," He pointed at her with his cigarette before taking another drag. "I think you guys are cute together. Just… don't get mushy when others are around, alright?"

 _Won't say anything? A lodge? The best one?_ Sarada was so confused and her heart went on a riot. _Boruto told someone? What exactly did he say? Getting mushy?_ What the fuck. Fighting her urge to have an outburst, she played it cool. Lodge, over the weekend… who was he with?

"Booked the best one, huh?" Sarada asked, keeping her voice collected as she picked up her tea, hand mildly shaking. "You been there before? Did you like it?"

"Oh, yeah." Shikadai nodded. "Took my girl up there after Christmas. Nice fireplace, comfy bed, you know, like those ski resorts they usually advertise in movies." He then looked at her. "Didn't you like it?"

Sarada smiled at him. She couldn't keep it in. "Shikadai, I was with my parents over the weekend. I have no idea what you're talking about."

The cigarette fell on the snow. "No… no shit?" He couldn't believe it. "I mean, like…" he was flailing for words and panic flashed across his face. "I was sure he was talking about you…"

"Why would Boruto take me to a ski resort over the weekend? What you described sounded awfully romantic." It stung her heart so bad. Boruto had been coming to her house nearly every day to fetch her, have breakfast with her and even take her home. They weren't together, or have said anything about exactly what it was… but a tiny part of her thought it might have been something more.

And then this.

Clearly, she was mistaken.

He paled and no more words came from his mouth. "Sarada," Shikadai held his hands up in the air, "Listen, I think this is a misunderstanding. Look, we can go to Boruto, and I'm sure there's a perfectly valid explanation-"

She stood from the bench and smiled a little wider, despite her eyes pricking, tears threatening to spill. "No, I think it's perfectly clear, Shikadai. There's really no need." Her voice was shaking, and she hurriedly gathered her food from the bench. "And there's nothing to tell, okay? Boruto's my boss and there's absolutely _nothing_ between us like that."

Shikadai gawked at her, still at a loss for words. "I-Sarada, please. I'm sure I got it wrong, okay?"

Sarada shook her head and ran away, hurriedly walking down the path and avoiding her office building. Her cheeks burned, and her eyes were quickly filling with tears.

Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.

Of course, there was nothing going on between them. She had been foolish to think that there was something else. Boruto's her _boss_. A handsome rich boy from a good university and family. He never had to work for anything, unlike her. He was highly unattainable and Sarada felt like a fool to think they were something _more_.

She kept bumping into people and getting angry or concerned glares. She didn't want to go back to her office and risk seeing Boruto or Shikadai again. If anything, she would feel utterly alone. Stopping in front of a store, she threw her food away in the nearest bin and pulled out her phone, hands shaking from the cold and her shattered breaths. Sarada could barely pick out his name, but she was able to after a few frustrating tries.

Putting the phone to her ear, she covered her face, willing her tears to stop. Her cheeks were burning from the cold wind and the tears drying on her face.

"Hello?"

"U-un-uncle I-Itachi…" she couldn't even say his name right, her frustration growing even more. "I-I need you… to please p-pick me up."

"Sarada?!" She heard something fall and crash. "Where are you? I'm coming to get you." There was another voice in the background. "Right now, I'm coming, Shisui get the car, we're picking Sarada up."

Oh, nice. Uncle Shisui was coming, too.

"I-I'm… at the bakery, near Pine corner Oak. I'll be here…"

"Get inside and stay warm." Itachi kept on talking, and Shisui was already talking shit, not even knowing what the hell was going on. She could hear the engine roar to life. "Wait for me, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"O-okay." Sarada ended the call and stuffed it in her pocket, walking into the bakery and ordering a cup of coffee for herself. Once the old lady at the register saw her in tears, she gave the cup and a cookie to her for free. Sarada thanked the lady and sat down at the corner, trying to stay warm and calm herself down.

Boruto had told Shikadai. Did he tell Shikadai everything? Sarada felt so upset. She hadn't told a single soul. Even if she wanted to so many times, she restrained herself. Out of fear? Shame? She wasn't so sure, but she would have to tell her uncles everything.

It's not that Sarada didn't trust Shikadai. He was the guy who knew everything but wasn't a gossip like Inojin and Chocho. Although to be fair to the latter, if she asked Chocho not to tell, she knew she would take that secret with her to her grave.

The bakery was small and rather busy. People noticed her, and gave her weird looks but didn't approach her or come to talk to her. It looked like the old lady at the register was thinking about talking to her, but Sarada pulled her phone out and pretended to look busy.

It was blowing up.

Calls from Shikadai, Inojin, and Chocho. The most recent ones were from Boruto.

Her stomach lurched and she put her phone face down on the table. Drinking her coffee should have been making her feel calmer but after one sip, she didn't want it anymore.

Luckily, Itachi came faster than she had expected and he gave her a big hug before ushering her out of the bakery. Thankful for his company, she clutched on to his coat as they walked, Shisui was in the car, idling right outside. Itachi opened the back door for her and let her hop in.

At the back, there was a pillow and a blanket, ready for her use.

Shisui was watching her through the rearview mirror, his lips pressed into a fine line. Sarada knew he wanted an explanation, he looked pissed. Although not at her, she knew Shisui could never be angry with her… but he definitely looked mad at how distressed she was. As soon as Itachi got in the car, he asked Sarada if she wanted him to collect her things from work.

 _No,_ was her initial thought. She didn't want to go back to her office building, or even be anywhere close… but her wallet, laptop, everything was up there… "Okay… can you please get it for me?"

"Of course," Itachi looked over at Shisui and he began to drive away. The lunch hour traffic was bad, only increasing Sarada's anxiety. She had a number of calls scheduled today, and her phone rang with reminders about the tasks she needed to complete but that was all going to hell today. Heck, maybe even tomorrow. At how disturbed she felt today, Sarada thought the office would be lucky to see her this week at all.

Itachi quickly got out of the car and strode into the building, not even stopping for security checks or bothered to surrender his ID. Only walked in like he owned the place, and if it were up to him, he would have burned the building down if he found out someone in it had caused his niece to break into tears.

The receptionist only looked at him as entered the main office, and he never looked at anyone in the eye until he reached Sarada's desk. His eyes roamed over quickly, assessing which belongings his niece may want to have.

"Who the hell are you?"

Itachi slowly looked over to his right and found a boy around Sarada's age with long blond hair and blue eyes rudely point a finger at him. "What the fuck are you doing in here, holding to Sarada's stuff?"

Itachi looked at the laptop in his hand, and ignored him, placing it in the bag and collecting the charger. He picked up the notebook and some post-its and stuffed it in, before closing the zipper, going for her handbag next.

"Hey asshole," Inojin placed a hand on his shoulder. "I was talking to you."

Oh… Did he want to get physical? Itachi held on to the boy's wrist, not having any of it. He was still pissed and wondered briefly if this was the boy he saw drop Sarada off last Christmas.

"Inojin!" Chocho screeched and stopped when she recognized him. "You're… Sarada's uncle, right?"

He nodded and flicked the boy's wrist of his shoulder. "I'm collecting her things. She is unwell."

"What happened to her?" Inojin was still pissed, but the worry was clear in his face. "We can't contact her."

"She's safe with me," Itachi replied. "Kindly advise whoever is concerned with her absence not to contact her for the time being."

Itachi gathered all of her things and left the office, walking out the same way he walked in.

.

.

.

The car ride going to Itachi's house was quiet, and although Shisui looked like he was going to demand answers at any given time, Itachi was more patient, quiet, calm. He would look back at Sarada, and she would only look at him. Sparing a small smile, Itachi looked ahead again. It went on during the entire ride and once they got to his place, Sarada went to the guest room that she had claimed to be hers.

And it really was hers.

Sarada spent a good number of her summers in Itachi's house ever since she was a baby. The guest room had light pink walls and girly furniture, all whitewashed and to her taste, she had picked them out herself a few years back, after all. Itachi was still single, and after his falling out with a long-time girlfriend never made a move to date. Claiming that having Sarada as the only girl in his life was more than enough for him.

It was easy to see why her father adored Uncle Itachi. He was simply the best.

Leaving the door half-open, Sarada laid down on the bed and curled up. She didn't even bother removing her coat or her shoes. It was nice to be somewhere familiar, and have space to herself to think.

After a few hours of being alone, she changed out of her clothes and walked down to the living room, finding her uncles having tea in front of the fireplace. She took a spot on the couch, forcing herself between them, already feeling lighter to have them near her.

Itachi handed her his teacup and went to fetch another for himself.

"So, kiddo…" Shisui looked at her… "Do I gotta beat anyone up or are we burning that company to the ground? Either way, I already told Itachi my plans."

Sarada laughed. It was so like her uncle Shisui to jump into things headfirst. Well, when it came to something for her, at least. "I… I don't really know." She took a sip of tea and the warmth that travelled down from her throat to her belly felt comforting. She had another. "Promise you won't tell Papa, though?"

"My foolish little brother will never know," Itachi took his spot next to her and draped a thick blanket around her shoulders. "Tell me."

With one big breath, she spilled everything. From the moment they met in Ninbucks until her conversation with Shikadai. Of course, skipping some… intimate details, but her uncles were quick to pick up just how intimate they have already been.

"He holds your hand and hasn't told you he loves you?" Shisui was absolutely abhorred, disgusted. "That fucking asshole." He went on muttering a bunch of expletives, looking like he might throw his teacup at the wall at any given time. "That isn't right, Sarada." He looked at her. "He needs to die."

"Uncle Shisui!" She screeched and looked at her other uncle for back up.

Itachi placed his teacup down. "I agree. I think I should call Sakura, too."

"No!" Sarada cried. Oh no, if her mother heard about this, her boss will never see the light of day again. Far worse than her Papa.

Itachi laughed lightly and pulled her into a hug. "My foolish niece."

"I'm not foolish," she pouted. Oh, but she certainly was. Perhaps she would have her father to blame. "I hate this," she complained. "And I hate him."

Itachi and Shisui exchanged a knowing look and they smirked.

"Surely," Shisui snickered. "What's not to hate?"

"I know!" Sarada added. "Puts me to work and makes me feel things!"

Itachi nodded. "Makes sure you're safe and insists to be with you."

"He's so annoying, won't leave me alone." Sarada rolled her eyes. "He's a stalker."

Shisui faked gasped and couldn't help but smile. "Sasuke told you not to tell stalkers where you live."

"He's terrible." Sarada pouted and slumped back on the couch. "He's seeing someone else, and I'm so stupid."

How did he even have the time to be seeing someone else? Boruto was spending nearly his whole day with her. Did the girl live with him or something? Is that why he never invited her over?

"I don't want to go back to work."

"Then stay here," Itachi offered. "I told your colleagues not to bother you as well."

Her eyes went wide and she sat up straight. "What? Who did you talk to?"

"Chocho, I believe," Itachi mused. "The girl you brought over for lunch once."

Sarada nodded. "Yes, that's her. Who else?"

"There was a blond…" Itachi recalled. "Blue-eyed boy."

Her heart stopped.

"He called me an asshole," Itachi rolled his eyes.

"Oh," relief washing over her. "That's Inojin." Thank god it wasn't Boruto. "Anyone else?"

"No. The two of them seemed worried about you."

Sarada nodded. "Okay…" Even if she was glad Boruto wasn't around, she was also hurt. Was he not worried about her? He did try to call… but there were no texts… perhaps she should be glad. Space is what she really needed right now, and even more, time to think.

"What's your next step, then?" Shisui asked. "If plotting murder is on it, you can count me in. I know where to hide bodies."

She rolled her eyes and leaned into him. "Thank you. But I don't really know what's best to do right now. Maybe I'll think about it tomorrow."

"Why not tell him how you feel?" Itachi suggested.

"Are you crazy?!" Sarada and Shisui screamed in unison. "Jinx." They were so in sync, even pointing at each other.

"Hell no," Shisui scrunched his nose. "Let the bastard say it first."

"I'm totally with Uncle Shisui here. I thought you were on my side!" She whined.

The corner of Itachi's lips curled up in a smile. Sometimes he forgot he's the only Uchiha with a reasonable brain cell. "It was only a suggestion." Face breaking into a full smile. "You can have all the time to think about it, but do take action." He told his niece.

Sarada chewed on her lower lip and nodded. "Okay…"

But what action was she going to take?

.

.

.

Itachi's instructions, perhaps, wasn't clear.

He specifically told people not to contact Sarada but it looked like she was the only one who knew how to follow instructions in that whole company.

Everyone kept calling and texting her non-stop. It was starting to get so bad that Sarada had to permanently place her phone on mute, turning it on airplane mode a few times a day, too.

Chocho and Inojin were sending a mix of worried texts, work-related questions and even more worry. Occasional gossip, too. People were talking all over the place about why she suddenly left, and even Konohamaru had sent her a formal email. It wasn't anything bad, just requesting for her to explain her absence and if there was anything he could do.

And then there was Boruto.

He blew up all of the ways he could contact her. Text, call, email, even on Ninstagram. It was driving her insane. At some point, she thought she might have been on an auto loop call because there was night wherein he literally did not stop calling her for over an hour.

It was Wednesday now, and Sarada knew she had missed a lot of work. The latest texts from her colleagues were all work-related. But Boruto? Barely. She opened up his text box to 20 unread messages. Most of them were saying the same things, but some caught her attention more.

_Sarada, I'm really worried about you._

_Please let me know you're okay._

_You're not home either? Where are you, Sarada?_

She sighed. Typical, of course, he went by her apartment. He was her stalker, after all. She snickered at the thought and tossed her phone aside. It was exhausting not doing anything, but thinking about her next steps were even more so.

After a few minutes, her phone started ringing and she groaned, wondering who it might be this time.

_Boruto._

Her heart fluttered thinking it might be him and even considered picking it up.

But it wasn't.

_UNKNOWN NUMBER_

She raised a brow. Who could this be?

Hesitantly, she picked up and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Sarada-chan?" A soft-spoken voice asked.

"Speaking," Sarada unconsciously shifted to using her formal phone voice. "May I know who's on the line?"

There was a short giggle and then, "of course, Sarada-chan. Oh gosh, I've heard so much about you! I mean… I'm Himawari!" More laughing and then further confirmation, "Boruto's little sister."

Her stomach dropped to her feet. Oh shit. She shouldn't have answered. "H-hi. What can I do for you?"

"Um, I wanted to speak with you… is it possible to do it in person?"

 _No._ Sarada immediately thought. This was a trap. For sure. It wouldn't be beneath Boruto to use his little sister to get Sarada to talk to him again. "Umm… I don't know. I'm far from the town right now." That's right. Use it as an excuse.

"That's fine, I can come to you if I need to." She said, not put off in the least. "It's important."

Fuck.

"Okay, sure. I can meet you later in the afternoon. Around 4?" What was Sarada even saying? Perhaps word vomit was contagious.

"Perfect! Would Thunder Burger be an okay place to meet?" She asked excitedly.

 _Thunder Burger._ It looks like liking fast food ran in the family. "I'm fine with that. Just us, right?"

"Oh, don't you worry, Sarada-chan. My brother doesn't want to get on my bad side." The girl laughed again before saying a quick goodbye and ending the call.

.

.

.

Shisui drove Sarada to the restaurant and waited for her nearby, telling her to just ring him if she wanted to leave for any reason. She thanked him and got in, being the first to arrive, she picked a booth near the corner and ordered. It didn't take long for Himawari to arrive.

Sarada watched her walk in, well, practically skip in. If Boruto was the sun personified, Himawari was true to her name, being sunflowers personified. Her aura was so light and bright, all smiles and wearing a yellow sweater and a black frilly skirt with black leggings and brown boots. Sarada thought she looked cute, really looking like a sunflower, too.

Blue eyes so similar to Boruto's locked on her and the girl brightened impossibly so. "Sarada-chan!" She smiled brightly like the sun and danced over to take a seat across from Sarada. "Oh wow, you really are beautiful!"

Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink and her heart beat a little faster… at least she got confirmation that Boruto found her beautiful. "Hello," she smiled. "You're just as cute as your brother describes you to be."

Himawari's eyes sparkling in delight. "You're so sweet." She cooed and shifted in her seat happily. "Thank you for meeting me. Thunder Burger is my favorite place. Boruto brings me here a lot. Do you come here with him too?"

Thinking quick if Boruto told his sister everything or not, Sarada decided to play it safe. "Sometimes."

"And you two go… Other places?'" She pressed innocently, batting her long lashes at Sarada.

Oh shit. Now Sarada knew why this girl had Boruto wrapped around her pretty little finger. "...yes." Her voice came out too small for her liking and she took a sip of her cola.

"But you're not together?" She tilted her head curiously, cheeks puffing out a bit.

Sarada's face fell into a frown. " _No_."

Ouchiha. That came out a lot harsher than she intended it to. But after everything? It was a solid no.

Himawari's face fell and her lips settled in a pout. "That's stupid." She rolled her eyes. "You're as bad as he is, aren't you?"

She crossed her arms across her chest and turned her face to the side. "He's _worse_."

"Are you sure about that?" Himawari pepped up, a devilish gleam in her eyes.

Sarada's gaze was back at the young girl. "Positive."

"Mmhmm." Himawari smirked. "This is better than I thought."

Sarada pouted at her and proceeded to open up her sandwich, "Sure it is." She was not amused at all. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Oh yes, I do," Himawari said, smirk turning into a sweet smile. "About last weekend."

Her face burned and the cola lost its taste. This was not something Sarada wanted to talk about. "What about it?" She kept her voice even but came out bored and tired. "I was with my parents." The alibi sounded like she was covering her tracks from a murder case.

"Gosh, relax Sarada-chan. I know you weren't with Boruto doing all those things you two do together." She huffed. "I came to meet you and tell you about my weekend, not ask about yours."

The audacity of this girl. It seemed like being a brat ran in Boruto's family. She only looked at her, proceeding to eat her fries.

"But of course, what's a good story without pictures?" She grinned and held up her phone, doing a little dance in her seat as she opened her camera roll. "First, you have _got_ to see Mister Brown." She turned her phone around so Sarada could see the screen. It showed a picture of Boruto holding a teddy bear that was almost as big as him. "Cute right? I'll totally send it to you!"

That was the biggest teddy bear Sarada had ever seen, and she thought for a split second to take Himawari up on her offer for her to send the photo. He looked so cute… perhaps even cuter than the bear.

"I was so happy already, I mean… Boruto _does_ spoil me a little. But when he came to pick me up I never expected Mister Brown. He's so soft, ugh, almost as soft as Boruto is." She mused as she scrolled to the next picture. One of Boruto in his car, driving with that smile of his on his face. She kept scrolling, showing several of herself with Boruto. "He took me out to dinner and the lodge he rented was so nice, Sarada-chan. We went skiing for the first time!" She laughed as she showed off pictures of Boruto nearly buried in the snow with a pouty look on his face. Then came pictures of them with a snowman unlike any Sarada had ever seen before. "He even spent an hour helping me build my dream snow-queen."

Himawari sighed wistfully and then set her phone down, looking to Sarada apologetically.

"This was when I finally heard so much about you. I don't know what happened for any misunderstanding to come about, but I can't take it when my brother is worried. See he had this whole overthinking problem, so I had to be the one to set things straight for him. Because he would do it for me… So, to close the story, Boruto was with me all weekend. Not some brother stealer. I suppose if he was with you, I wouldn't mind. And I expect to get the same respect in return."

The explanation all made sense, it really did. It helped to clear one thing away from Sarada's mind, but a thousand more things ate at her.

Everyone she spoke to all kept asking if they were together as if Boruto was saying things to make them assume that but he himself has never asked her out on a date or explicitly said he had any interest in her. Sarada hadn't told a soul, but it seemed the opposite for Boruto. He had been talking about her and the things that they were doing to other people, but whenever they were together, the elephant in the room was something they both refused to talk about.

It was getting irritating, to say the least.

"I'm glad you had a good weekend with Boruto," Sarada started. "And by all means, do spend time with him. I don't mind it one bit. I can't believe you did this for him, but by seeing how close you two are, I can." Sarada sighed. "Now that the weekend trip is clear, it does make me feel better, but that's not the only reason why I'm upset."

"I came for all three of us! If you're going to be his girlfriend, I want us to be like sisters, okay?" Himawari reached over to pat Sarada's arm. "Why else are you upset, Sarada-chan? If Boruto hurt you, I'll make sure he regrets it."

Sarada couldn't help but laugh and she held on to Himawari's small, soft hand. "I don't doubt you will." Finally feeling a little lighter, she tried to think of a way to simplify how she felt, and what was eating away at her for the past few days… Because it certainly wasn't Boruto.

Realizing her thoughts, she brushed that away and explained. "He makes me feel things that I haven't felt with anyone else, and I really don't know how to make it work out for all of us. Things are complicated and it's not as simple as people think it is." She looked at Himawari and hoped she would understand. "Boruto does hurt my feelings a lot, but he always makes up for it. I'll be sure to tell you next time, though." She smiled.

"I see… this is your first time too, huh?" She smiled. "Don't you deal with his nonsense, you can count on me to set him straight!"

"Yeah, you can say that." Sarada giggled. "I'm counting on you."

"I won't let you down, Sis." Himawari crossed her heart, giving Sarada a closed-eye grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Things were bad, but it seems like things are looking up, hmm? Now that Himawari and Sarada have met, do you think they'd be fast friends? Let us know what you think Boruto might be thinking while he tried calling Sarada non-stop in the reviews!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kairi and Tyy


	20. Back To You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains explicit sexual content. The start and end of the section will be marked with xxx
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Whether it was his own word vomit or someone else's… Boruto seemed to always have something to fix.

It was the _worst_ when it was Sarada-related things that needed fixing because she was _difficult._ How was he supposed to fix things if she was ignoring him?

He couldn't.

That's where Himawari came in.

It wasn't like Boruto called and poured his heart out to his sister just to get her to help him. Himawari just happened to be an angel, suggesting she speak with Sarada and Boruto had faith that his sister wouldn't fail him. So, he gave Himawari Sarada's number and he waited.

And waited.

_And waited._

It was after five o'clock and he had yet to hear back from his sister. Sarada had been MIA since Monday afternoon and whether anyone said it or not, he knew it was because of him.

Not his fault though. Totally not. Of course, even though he was irritated, he didn't blame Shikadai entirely. Boruto knew his friend wasn't trying to start anything or cause problems—if anything, he wanted things to work out between Sarada and Boruto.

If there were things to work out, that is.

Time was ticking by, his phone was still dry and his anxiety was eating at him.

Boruto had done everything he could, calling too many times, sending text after text and even stopping by her apartment only to find it empty. The unanswered door was just like his unanswered calls and messages and it was frightening. After twenty-four hours, Boruto's mind started concocting different variations of why Sarada was missing.

What if it wasn't him? What if she was hurt, or sick? What if something happened to her?

He couldn't take it.

Boruto was on the verge of losing his mind and it was a good thing he'd caught up on his work because currently, all he could do was pace back and forth in his office, checking his phone every minute.

_Nothing._

Just when the hour changed again, and Boruto thought it was over—his not girl was never going to talk to him again—his office door opened and his heart swelled with hope.

Nobody entered his office without knocking— _except Sarada._

"Sarada!" He breathed in overwhelming relief at the sight of the woman constantly on his mind finally gracing his eyes.

Not that he missed her or anything. He was just worried is all. Anyone would be!

"Sarada," he repeated her name, softer and calmer this time as she stepped in and closed the door behind herself. "Shit, Sarada…"

His relief was strong, but he was upset too. _God,_ he was so mad at her!

"Sarada, what the hell?!" He nearly yelled, though he quickly lowered his voice. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

He hadn't slept. He could barely eat. Hell, he'd even been skipping his morning coffee!

"Well, don't just stand there! Tell me, Sarada. What. The. Hell."

She was just standing there, not saying a thing. After a few seconds, she walked up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

Boruto wasn't expecting it. Not even a little bit, but he accepted it gladly. His arms wound around her slim waist, holding her tight against him, blue eyes falling shut as his lips molded against hers.

So soft. So sweet.

Fuck, he missed her.

Her sweet and alluring scent washed over him intoxicatingly. The first kiss was just a slow and meaningful touch. It should have been enough, but while they both tried to pull away, they couldn't bear to part. Their breaths mingled, hot and quick and then they were holding tighter to each other, lips meeting with hunger and urgency that no doubt was insatiable.

Boruto swallowed every breathy moan that escaped her and soon he was in need of much more. Sarada seemed to be in the same situation, all too eager to accept all of his touches. Once his hands started roaming, they didn't stop, though it wasn't long before they settled on her ass, gripping her plump bottom as he lifted her into his desk.

The kiss only deepened, tongues meeting in a frenzy of caresses and teeth nipping every chance they had. She hadn't said a single word, she didn't need to. This was more than enough for him. This was what they both needed.

To get lost in each other.

To give themselves to each other wholeheartedly.

Or, was it just sex?

Boruto didn't care what it was anymore, especially right now. He did, however, reluctantly pull himself away from the beauty on his desk, just long enough to admire her. Too many clothes. Way too many clothes. Boruto pushed her down on his desk after sliding his laptop and some folders out of the way. He pushed her shirt up over her chest, then her bra, leaving the garments on her while still letting him see everything he yearned for.

But his eyes weren't on her perfect breasts or hardened nipples. They were locked on hers, completely mesmerized by those onyx eyes that somehow, miraculously appeared bright and full of something close to adoration.

 _She was happy to see him too._ Boruto's heart soared. Of course, she was happy to see him!

She was crazy about him!

She just didn't want to admit it.

So childish.

"Sarada," he breathed, leaning over her, one hand cupping her flushed cheek while his thumb brushed over her lips just so. "Don't ever disappear on me again."

Her hands came up to hold his and she shook her head, a smile on her face. "I won't. Even if I tried, I know you'll find a way to get me to come back."

Boruto returned her smile, thumb pulling down her bottom lip as his pride swelled at having her here like this, looking like an angel, saying these sweet and truthful words. How could he not want to make her his completely?

"Smart girl," He murmured softly, still smiling, though his eyes were heavily lidded as lust and longing and _something else_ just hit him.

It was all so sudden.

**xxx**

Leaning down over her more, Boruto kissed the tip of her nose. His hands weren't taking such an innocent approach though. His feelings were pouring out with each tender kiss to her body, with every careful and knowing touch. Sarada happily accepted all of it, helping him when he removed her pants and underwear, rolling her hips and spreading her legs in invitation.

This was a sight he was almost _too_ familiar with.

How many times had he sat at this desk and got hard just from the memory of her? It would never fade. He would never want her any less. It didn't bother him one bit to have this woman driving him crazy.

A small part of him was aware of their location, which kept him from stripping all their clothes and going crazy. Sarada has a tight grip on his tie, keeping him pulled down so she could have her way with his mouth. Boruto didn't mind, but as soon as he started working his belt open, she started working the tie apart.

"Leave it," he ordered, though softly. They could need to get dressed in a hurry and it wouldn't be so easy for him if she made him take everything off.

Sarada whimpered a protest but Boruto cut her short with another deep kiss as he finally pulled his dick out of his pants and underwear. He'd been feeling smothered and not in the way he wanted to be.

When his lips broke away and he straightened himself to get a look at her damp sex, her own eyes fell to his length and she stared unabashedly. "Next time, it's all coming off." She said with a finality that had him cocking a brow, but he didn't bring about any hesitation in his part. He was quick to line his tip up with her entrance, too hot for her to wait.

"Next time?" Oh, he liked the sound of that. He smirked as he flexed his hips the tiniest bit, just enough to tease her. _And him._

Sarada whimpered at the slightest touch. "If you do it right there will be."

"Of course." He agreed smugly, grabbing her by her hips to tug her down closer to him at the same time he thrust forward, giving her all of him in one go.

It was as glorious as it had been the first time, so hot and wet and tight. Perfect. She was so perfect. Just for him. She cried his name at the less than gentle initial push, and Boruto didn't hold back. He pulled his hips back slowly, dipping back down to muffle her moans with a heated kiss before he gave another powerful and purposeful thrust into her.

He was barely helping contain her voice at all, but he couldn't spare a second to scold her when she was wrapping her legs around his waist, bucking her hips to meet his steady, deep thrusts and tugging on his hair so hard he couldn't even think about moving his head.

They moved together, lost in the pleasure they received from each other, overcome by the heat between them and the _undeniable_ connection they had.

Right, no denying it.

There was at least a _little_ chemistry.

Boruto groaned when Sarada bit down on his lower lip, not taking it easy on him at all. His cock throbbed inside of her and her sensual and erotic moans started dragging out longer, taking a different tone that told him just as much as the quivering of her insides, that she was as close as he was.

The bite she'd given him had drawn blood, but Boruto couldn't be bothered to mind it more than turning his head so she could suck on his neck instead while he drove them closer and _closer_ until she finally snapped.

"Son of a bitch," he screeched when her teeth latched onto his neck, a horribly failed attempt to keep her voice down. It hurt like hell, but it didn't take away from how good it felt to have her falling apart beneath him—to feel her insides quaking and pulsating as her hips rocked up to meet his.

Boruto came right along with her, not stilling until he'd rode out the last of his orgasm. His come made it even hotter inside of her, even wetter. It was amazing. She was amazing.

For a moment, neither of them moved, instead they kept still, letting their bodies calm until they were breathing more normally and their hearts settled back to a more steady rate. Then Boruto removed himself from her, gently, eyes falling to the mess he'd made between her legs.

The sight threatened to fire him up all over again.

"You fucking bit me." He huffed as he pulled his pants up, tucking in his still half-hard member before doing up his fly. "And here of all places? No way I'll be able to hide this bruise." He rubbed the spot on his neck and then sighed before starting to help her get her bottoms back on.

**xxx**

She smiled apologetically at him but giggled. "Do you even want to hide it?" Sarada pulled her panties and pants back on and righting her top. She was still sitting on his desk, watching him get dressed.

"Not exactly. But, I'm not good at explaining things like this. I can't afford to slip up and say I fucked you in my office. That would be bad for both of us."

He really had to watch the word vomit.

With a deep sigh, she jumped off his table and straightened her hair out. "I agree. Too bad other people already know."

"Wait, what?" He furrowed his brow in confusion. "People _know?"_ The office fucking really needed to be a secret, so whoever knew needed to be silenced before they could run their mouths to anyone else.

She gave him a weird look. "Didn't you tell Shikadai about," her arms gestured between the two of them, " _This?_ " seemingly unsure about what _this_ really was. "And your sister, but I don't think she counts… unless she tells your dad."

"I didn't tell him anything," Boruto said quickly, shaking his head. "Shit, I mean… I didn't _mean_ to tell him anything! He was roasting my ass and I might have slipped up. Totally on accident. I'm not going to go around talking about _this_ if you're not. And you're not… are you?"

"Like hell I am," Sarada suddenly looked so snippy and sat down on his chair. "I don't… even know what _this_ is..." her voice was so small, and she was looking everywhere except for his face.

 _Me either._ "Come home with me." He said, not wanting to have to part from her yet. He _just_ got her back. "We can get some food on the way. And we can watch another _thriller_."

Her eyes narrowed on him. "No. After everything I've been through the past few days, I need something happy."

"You'll have me," He said simply. He would make her happy.

She pouted at him. "Really?"

"Yeah." He smiled his softest smile and straightened his tie. "Aren't I enough?"

Sarada got up from the chair and walked up to him, coming up to her tiptoes when she was close enough and planted a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. "I guess it'll do." She smiled teasingly at him and held his hand. "Do you think anyone else will be around?"

Boruto glanced around the clock on his wall and then shook his head. "Not unless Konohamaru is still here. But I doubt it. He was saying earlier that Auntie Hanabi was talking about some kind of anniversary thing. I don't know." He shrugged and then raised her hand to rub her knuckles against his cheek. "You need to go to the restroom before we go?"

She looked at her hand on his and shook her head. "I can hold it."

"Alright then." He smiled and placed a kiss to her hand before letting their hands drop. "Just let me grab my things."

Sarada placed his other hand on her waist. "Let's go."

Boruto shook his head fondly, happy that she didn't want to separate from him either. He kept his hand on her waist, holding her to him without a problem though he removed his other hand from hers to put his laptop and those files he'd been working on in his carrier. It was a task, gathering it and his suit jacket and phone with only one arm, but the struggle was worth keeping her close to him.

.

.

.

When Boruto asked Sarada where she wanted to stop for dinner, he wasn't expecting her to suggest they go by the market instead and pick up something for her to cook. He agreed right away, excitement bubbling up inside him at the thought of her cooking in his home, for _him_ and not anybody else.

Plus he knew just how tasty her meals were.

Though they weren't quite as tasty as Sarada herself.

She made grocery shopping an experience he didn't mind and they held hands as they shopped, Boruto carrying their basket while she added things she claimed to need for what she was cooking. He didn't ask any questions, no matter what it was, he knew he would love it.

It was a little after seven when they finally pulled up to his home and he parked inside the garage. Boruto cut the engine and pulled out his keys, hopping out of his car to walk around and open her door. She waited for him to do so, this time not having as much to gather before she was ready to get out. He offered his hand and she took it quickly and held on until they reached his front step, only letting go when he needed to unlock the door.

The two grocery bags Boruto carried weren't heavy, but Boruto was curious about what Sarada was going to cook. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, taking her hand again to pull her along. "Excuse the mess."

She looked around, looking curious. "It's not messy at all."

"If you say so." He mused as he led her towards his kitchen. "I keep it cooler here than you keep your place. If you want me to bump the heat up, I will."

"It's okay," Sarada replied. "I'll just keep my sweater on."

 _Or don't._ "Well, you have me anyway. I'm like a heater." He joked, tickling her side playfully as he finally reached the kitchen and headed towards the counter.

She squirmed at his touch and caught his finger, pulling him closer to her to kiss his chin—the only thing she could reach without exerting too much effort—before going back to the groceries and putting all of the ingredients out on the counter.

"Anything I can do to help?" Boruto asked, looking through everything he'd bought. He wouldn't ask what they were having though. But he was dying to know.

Sarada hummed. "You can wash the parsley and the salmon, while I chop the garlic." She then peeked up at him. "Let me know if you need help."

"Okay." He nodded and proceeded to do as she said. He was more than capable of doing things, even if some people would doubt him. A lot just came naturally to him. It was both a blessing and a curse.

Some people couldn't stand that about him.

Once he had the salmon and parsley washed, he looked over to her, watching her silently. Sarada was in his kitchen, preparing dinner for them as if they were a couple—which they _weren't._ It was almost too much to handle.

"I'm finished. Anything else?" He asked, blue eyes trailing up and down her figure as if it was his only chance to take her in.

Sarada looked at his work and nodded approvingly. "Do you have a pan I can use? I'll stick this all in the oven with the other vegetables."

"Yeah." He dried his hands and then opened a cabinet to find a suitable pan. He was lucky his mom and Himawari made him buy all these things for when they came over to cook.

Boruto cooked breakfast. Nothing else.

He carried over the pan and then brought over the salmon and parsley. "Are we gonna cuddle and watch a thriller while it cooks?"

"Can't wait to cuddle already?" She giggled. "This will be done in ten minutes, though. We can eat while we watch."

"Whoa, ten minutes?" He blinked once, in surprise. "I'll barely have time to get changed and pick the movie!"

"Then go get to it," Sarada pushed him lightly. "Can I borrow a shirt or a sweater, too?"

"Yeah, of course." He nodded, smiling as he went on his way to his room.

After changing into a pair of joggers and a T-shirt, and grabbing one of his sweaters for Sarada, Boruto made his way back towards the kitchen. He handed off the shirt and then went to pick out a movie. He was feeling for something extra thrilling tonight.

She thanked him for the sweater and popped everything in the oven before padding over to his bathroom to get changed. When she came back, he couldn't help but stare at her. Sarada decided that the sweater was the only thing staying on her tonight. It was too long on her, but the firey red sweater and the yellow bold texts of KONOHA U looked great on her.

When she noticed him staring she grinned. "Shame I didn't actually go to this university."

"Shame." He nodded slowly in agreement. _A real shame._ "You uh… want some pants?"

She looked down at her pantless situation and quirked an eyebrow up. "Are you seriously asking me to put on pants?"

Boruto's cheeks heated up and he averted his eyes. "W-well… I mean… No." That was _not_ what he said.

"Yeah, I thought so," she hummed, and then quickly came to him on the sofa, kissing his lips a little too short for his liking before the oven dinged and she pulled away quickly. "It's done!" She asked from the kitchen, "Did you choose yet?"

How could he choose when he was caught up on all the kisses she'd been giving him today? What the hell. "Uhh, almost."

He hadn't even turned on the TV.

Hurrying up, Boruto got the TV turned on and pulled up Ninflix to find something for them to watch. He went straight for the horror genre and skimmed through, looking for something he hasn't seen before that also looked interesting.

Back in the kitchen, he could hear plates and utensils clinking around, increasing the pressure to pick something before she got to the living room. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he skimmed faster before finally settling on something. And right in time.

"Need some help?" He called, looking over in the direction of the kitchen.

Sarada came walking out, holding a plate full of salmon and vegetables, and two forks. "I got it." She sat down next to him and placed the plate on her lap.

_One plate?_

There was only one plate.

"Are you gonna feed me?" Boruto asked cheekily as he leaned over to nuzzle her neck.

Sarada hummed and looked at the other fork. "We can pretend it doesn't exist," she replied, just as cheekily.

"Yeah? I like the sound of that." She was being so agreeable.

It was almost suspicious.

Taking a piece of salmon, Sarada held it up for Boruto to take. She had an eager smile on her face, probably hoping he would like what she cooked. He opened his mouth, just as eager to get a taste. He took the bite and chewed, tastebuds exploding at the perfection she delivered him.

"Wow, it's delicious. _Ten minutes_?" He still couldn't believe it.

Sarada grinned, cheeks turning pink, delighted with his compliment. "Yeah, it's one of those quick and easy recipes I like to use. Plus, it's good for you." She poked at an asparagus and popped it in her mouth before turning to face the television and leaning on him as she chewed. "Are we going to watch something that will keep me up all night?"

"The only thing keeping you up will be me." He said without a single thought on his words and nudged her cheek, ready for another bite.

Sarada turned to face his finger, opening her mouth, trying to bite at it. "Okay, okay." She poked up a piece of vegetable this time and held it up for him.

"Mm. That's good."

What he wouldn't give to have her cooking in his kitchen for him every night...

"Thank you."

Sarada only smiled at him before going back to the food, feeding herself and directing her attention back to the screen, not looking too happy that the scene was starting to look ominous. "I still can't believe you like horror…" she muttered. "And I'm actually watching this."

"I love it! Yes you are and you're gonna have to get used to it."

Whoa, he made that sound like he was going to keep her.

Would it really be so bad if he did?

She scrunched her nose and handed him the plate, pulling her legs up to the couch and leaning more into him, the scary parts were coming up and she wanted to get herself ready.

"Ooh, my turn to feed you now?" He asked, wiggling his brows at her.

She only nodded, face coming close to his chest, ready to hide her eyes at any second. The high pitched sounds were getting louder, and a scare was _bound_ to happen any second now.

"Aw, you're never going to get used to it like that, Princess." He teased her, using his free hand to pat her head affectionately. Then he reached for the remote. It wasn't fair to make her suffer, even if he liked her clinging to him.

"Oh my god what are you doing?" She looked at him, eyes wide, still frightened now that the ghost was up on screen and she refused to look.

Boruto rolled his eyes in his amusement and backed out of the promising movie, silencing the room. "Boo."

Even if it was soft, she jumped at that still and a strangled scream escaped her throat. She was quick to get angry with him and slapped his shoulder. "I hate you!"

"What was that?" He laughed. "Sarada did you just say what I think you said?"

Her cheeks turned a bright red. She grit her teeth and picked up a throw pillow to hit him with. "I said I _hate_ you!"

"Nah I'm pretty sure you said something else."

With a scowl, Sarada responded, "You're delusional."

"You're the one confessing how crazy about me you are. Go on, tell me more." He smirked as he looked to the TV and switched to the comedy's.

She crossed her arms across her chest and pouted. "So annoying."

"You love it." He said as he chose a new movie and then picked up the fork to offer her a bite of salmon. "Truce?"

Sarada looked at it suspiciously, and then took a bite, but still looking away from him as she chewed, being as difficult as always.

It was really crazy how much he enjoyed it.


	21. Nothing to Break

After her talk with Himawari, Sarada felt a lot lighter, and things were a little clearer… sort of. She still couldn't figure out why Boruto always made her so crazy but one thing was for certain, she wanted to be with him, and she missed him so much. Himawari was such an angel and encouraged her to go to him at the office, insisting that Boruto would be more than happy to see her again. He had been worried out of his mind, and the reason why he came running to her to help.

Himawari was like a mafia boss. And she could see why. Behind that sweet face was a scary girl. No wonder Boruto was whipped.

Shisui drove Sarada to the office and dropped Himawari home.

For the life of her… she couldn't explain what happened in his office. Seeing him after a few days, he was riled up and worried, even yelling at her—not out of anger—but because he was so worried.

Himawari was right. Boruto cared about her. Perhaps even more than he would like to admit. He kept on talking, demanding answers from and didn't even give her the opportunity to talk and explain herself.

Then again… who needs words to explain themselves?

Sarada threw herself at him, going in for a kiss and she knew it was wrong but it felt so right.

Everything about Boruto felt right.

One thing kept leading to another and next thing she knew, they were having sex. Totally by accident. Not that she didn't like it… Having all those clothes on wasn't fun, but there was a promise of next time that she had no idea where it came from, but it excited her, just as much as it excited him.

Spending the night in Boruto's apartment was a nice change of pace, and she was glad that he liked the dinner she cooked. It was one of those fast and easy recipes that she adored and wondered to herself why she hadn't even prepared it for him back during their secret Santa event.

December seemed so far away but it had only been a few weeks. Everything was going by so fast but Sarada wished that everything would slow down to prolong her time with Boruto. She was happy enough to have him spend time with her, and every moment they spent, she cherished. She slept over the previous night, falling asleep in his arms. He kept his apartment colder than she would have liked but having him as her own personal heater was a treat.

The next morning was a little different from their routine, as Boruto had to wake her up a little earlier than usual to get back to her apartment for her to get ready, but took their time as soon as they got there. Boruto even got ready with her, and they enjoyed breakfast in her apartment and more making out before leaving for work. The entire drive, Boruto wouldn't let go of her hand, always keeping it close to his chest or bring it up to his lips, placing soft kisses along her knuckles.

Things were looking good.

That is… until she got to her desk.

Chocho and Inojin were already there, and though Sarada found it weird that they got there before she did, it was because she was later than usual. It was already past ten in the morning.

"Saradaaaa!" Chocho cried and engulfed her in a big bear hug, shedding comical tears as she screamed about how worried she was for her boss, and how much work she and Inojin had to do.

Inojin was there, too, watching their exchange and also gave Sarada a quick hug. "Where the fuck were you? You didn't even tell us if you were okay! Some asshole came here and took your things and I was about to beat his ass."

Sarada snickered. As if Inojin could take her uncle on. "I'm sorry," she smiled and hugged them both. "I really needed some time to think about things, and I wasn't feeling well. But I'm fine now, and I'll take care of everything I left behind, okay? Just tell me what's the most pressing matter first." She put her bag down on her desk and started unpacking her laptop and notebooks. "What's urgent right now?"

Chocho and Inojin exchanged looks and nodded at each other. Each of them took hold of each one of her arms and swept her away to the closest meeting room and shut the door. Sarada didn't even get the chance to protest, as Inojin sat her down and he and Chocho stood in front of her, worried looks on their faces.

She knew that look… and it unsettled her. "What's going on?" Sarada asked cautiously, almost not even wanting to know.

"Ummm…" Inojin looked at Chocho and then back at Sarada, and then back at Chocho. "Chubs, I think you should say it."

Chocho glared at the blond and sighed. "Okay. Fine." She then looked at Sarada and gave her an apologetic look before saying it. "Sarada…"

Oh no. Not that tone. "What is it? You're scaring me."

She took a deep breath and groaned, looking back at the closed door and pulling a chair to sit close to her, and lowered her voice. "Listen, people have been talking while you were away. And like, even if Inojin and I intervene…" she bit her lower lip. "It just doesn't sound right, you know?"

People were gossiping? About her? "Because of my absence?" Sarada asked. "I was on sick leave…"

"Yeah, about that sick leave…" Inojin intervened and puckered his lips before continuing. "There was the other one you had and coincidentally, Boruto was out sick, too…" He bit his lower lip before proceeding. "Kagura said Boruto was there, to answer your door… Is that… you know, true?"

All the blood drained away from her face. Oh no.

Chocho looked pained and pissed at the same time. "Boruto's also been taking you home and you two have been coming in at the same time…" the poor girl looked like she didn't want to continue anymore because Sarada looked like she had already stopped breathing.

This was it. It was starting.

"It's not so hard for people to spin up a story with all of these things, you know?" Inojin laughed sardonically. "And those gifts he got you during Christmas… Someone overheard Naruto and Konohamaru mentioning that Boruto doesn't do that for just anybody… not even his own mother is that spoiled by him." Inojin rolled his eyes to that. Sarada would have laughed, knowing how much Inojin spoiled his own mother, but this was all no laughing matter…

"Who did it?" Sarada asked… "Who said anything about all of this?"

The two of them looked at each other and then at her.

"Sarada…" Chocho started slowly. "Aren't you going to tell us that… it's not true?"

Oh fuck.

"It's not…" she buried her face in her hands. "It's not—it's not what you think it is." Sarada took in a shaky breath. This was it, her career was over. "We're not together or anything like that." She looked up and faced them, looking right into their eyes. "We're not together."

It wasn't a lie.

It was the cold hard truth. Even when Chocho and Inojin laid all of the evidence in front of her, it was still the truth. She and Boruto never spoke about it or even acknowledged just what it was they had… if they really had anything, to begin with.

"He takes me home, because when he found out how cramped the train was and that I'm on the way, he offered, to be polite. And I get to save money, too," Sarada explained. "Same reason for picking me up. I'm on the way."

Inojin raised a brow but did not say anything.

"The gifts…" She sighed. "I don't know, he's new to the whole Feel Good Friend thing, and he did it the only way he knew how which is how he spoils his sister. You know, the one we thought was his girlfriend?"

"I was on sick leave because I really wasn't feeling well, and neither was he. He dropped me off and crashed on my couch. I couldn't really kick him out, right? He's my _boss_."

Everything had a logical reason behind it.

Boruto didn't drive her home and bring her to work because he was worried about her safety and wanted to spend more time with her. It was all about convenience.

The gifts he gave her weren't because he thought she deserved to be spoiled, that's just the way he is, and Sarada being Sarada had nothing to do with it.

And that not date sick leave… He's a stalker. That's all there was to it.

"I can explain all of this, and you will find there is nothing going on between us." Sarada pressed her lips into a fine line and then gave them a tight smile. "Can you help me put these rumors to rest? These kinds of… office romances with their bosses really ruin someone's reputation and career."

Chocho nodded her head solemnly. "They do, Sarada, they do. And I know you're smart, you won't fall for someone like that… I mean, he's hot and all, and even if he does like you, you won't go for it because… well, he's your _boss_."

Inojin crossed his arms across his chest. "Yeah," Inojin agreed. "I mean, it's not like you like him or anything right?"

Sarada did not respond, still caught up with what Chocho said. Boruto likes her?

"What?" She shook her head. "Boruto likes me?"

"Ho-ly shit," Inojin dropped his arms. " _You_ like _him_."

"Wh-what? No, I don't!" Sarada raised her arms and flailed it around. "I don't, you're crazy."

Chocho covered her face. "Oh em gee!" She squealed. "He likes you, I know he does. And you like him. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"

"Shut up!" Sarada screamed. "I don't! Lower your voice, someone might hear you!" Her panic started rising. Chocho was freaking out and she couldn't stop talking, saying something about she saw the signs early on and how upset she was for not doing something about it sooner.

"Boss," She looked at Sarada pointedly. "This changes everything."

Her face was dangerously red. "It doesn't change anything, and I don't like him. Stop it."

Inojin had a sly smile on his face, shaking his head from side to side in amusement. "Yeah, you do. Holy shit."

"Guys…" Sarada slumped in her seat and hid her face. "Please, this is serious."

"OH, IT'S SERIOUS!" Chocho screamed. "I can't believe you! Having an office romance and not telling me. I thought we were friends first!"

Sarada wanted the ground to open up so she could jump in and disappear. This was too much. That good day is starting to look horrible. There was a rumor going around about her and Boruto and now her two colleagues are accusing her of an office romance.

What she and Boruto had wasn't an office romance… right?

When they were in the office they never did anything to merit that… right?

Images of her sitting on Boruto's desk filled her mind, his mouth between her legs, and then his dick. Her cheeks burned and she willed those thoughts away.

No. Absolutely nothing.

.

.

.

After the ordeal with Chocho and Inojin, they all went back to their desks and brushed off the shouting match as a passionate discussion among marketers. Nothing out of the usual.

Shikadai pulled her to the side during lunch and profusely apologized for what happened, explaining that he really didn't mean to upset her and it was his fault for jumping to conclusions, again promising that he didn't say anything about her and Boruto and that he felt awful a rumor about them was going around. Sarada was quick to forgive him.

Later in the afternoon, Boruto swung by her desk, car keys in hand. They had barely spoken to each other all day. Boruto being busy with work and Sarada doing her best to catch up. It was still early, he couldn't possibly have wanted to drive her home at five in the afternoon.

"Need to head out early today. I have dinner at seven. How about you stay at my place again… wait on me there?"

Sarada looked around, thankful no one was in their area. She stood up and pulled him to his office and shut the door behind them. "I don't think that's a good idea," she started. "I can take the train, and I'll go back home today… you have fun with your dinner. Don't forget to pick up the flowers at the Yamanaka Flower Shop before heading over… sir."

Boruto cocked a brow while the rest of his face fell. "Sarada, you're not taking the damn train. I'll take you home. To my place. Where you can wait for me."

She shook her head vigorously. Oh god, no. This is exactly why people were talking. "No, that's not a good idea, sir." Sarada couldn't even look at him. She knew he would be confused—hurt—even. Boruto may mean well but she needed to stop these rumors… and it meant no more car rides, no more time together.

"Why the hell not?" He scoffed, narrowing his blue eyes on her.

Sarada covered her face. Oh god. She had to tell him. "Because… because people are talking about us." Spreading lies… "Saying there's something between us, that we're together." And the truth is… "When we're not."

"People talk, Sarada. Who cares? We do what we want and I want to take you home so I will."

She gritted her teeth. "Who cares?" She repeated and looked at him, narrowing her eyes at him. " _I do_."

"So what are you saying?" Boruto asked, looking shocked and _hurt._

"I'm saying you should go enjoy your dinner, and I will take myself home," Sarada replied evenly. "We're not together, and we shouldn't be giving people the idea that we are. I care about my job, and I don't want to lose it." Her knees were feeling weak. Saying it all out loud just made it all too real and it was too much.

The past three months were all starting to look like a dream instead of reality.

"Do you think I would ever risk something affecting your position, Sarada? Is that the kind of man you think I am?"

She bit her lower lip. "No, of course not." He hadn't been the best boss, but he wasn't a bad one either. "I just don't want this affecting _our_ reputation." And Sarada meant that. It wouldn't just look bad on her, but on Boruto as well… even if he transferred elsewhere.

"Oh," Boruto said quietly. "I see." He pulled in a slow breath, staring at the floor before looking to his side, away from her. "I'm sorry."

Stunned… that was the only way she could pinpoint how she felt. He said so little… his voice was so soft… It was scary. Sarada watched him walk around her and leave his office, both of them not saying another word.

Shit.

What just happened?

.

.

.

The following days were… _painful._

Boruto didn't come to fetch her in the morning. He didn't greet her, or even look at her when they bumped into each other in the hallways. To put it shortly… they were no longer speaking. But during meetings, they would address each other, curtly and professionally. He still wrote her emails and gave her instructions, but they were void of emojis and any sort of warm pleasantries and praise.

This was it. The kind of space they needed to make people stop talking. And it was… strangely working.

Sarada went back to her regular routine. Commuting home, and making dinner for one. Waking at a later time and only having coffee for breakfast.

Things were back to normal but… why did it feel so much lonelier?

That weekend, Sarada asked her parents to come over, not liking how empty her apartment was starting to feel. Nothing changed… except she no longer had someone knocking on her door at six in the morning, and no one to come in and watch movies with her after work.

It drove her crazy and weighed her heart down.

Seeing her parents by her door, holding their bags and bringing her food was such a welcome sight, and sooner rather than later, she felt so much better, thankful that she wasn't so lonely anymore.

"I was starting to worry about you, Sarada," Sakura said. "You usually call almost every day, complaining about something or telling me you miss my cooking. But you just… stopped."

Sarada dropped the cookie on her plate. "S-sorry. I was just… busy."

"Doing what?" Sasuke asked.

It was so like her Papa to go right for the throat. "I was… working and spending time with friends."

"Which ones?" Sakura asked, pulling a chair and looking at her daughter eagerly.

She bit her lower lip. It didn't feel right… lying to her parents. She was busy, and she was feeling lonely. But the reason why she didn't call was that there was another person who was taking up her time and filling the spaces that were empty during her day.

But not anymore.

"Boruto," She responded, with downcast eyes. "I think I did something wrong."

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other and then back at their daughter. Sakura placed a hand over hers. "Darling, you know you can tell us anything."

She nodded, a salty tear falling on her cookie. "I know…"

"Did he do something to you?" Sasuke asked, voice strained.

"No…" Sarada responded and wiped at her eyes. "I did something."

"What is it, dear?" Sakura was stood up from her chair and went to stand behind Sarada, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Tell me, please."

And she told them everything. All the times they spent together, how Boruto would smile at her and make her feel things she had never felt before. How nice he was to her, and how much he cared.

But now… they were no longer speaking.

It had only been a few days, but it ate away at her, and she hated it. She hated the way Boruto wouldn't even look at her face. "He hates me…" and she couldn't blame him.

"I highly doubt that, Sarada," Sasuke responded. "Far from it."

"How would you know, Papa?" Sarada couldn't believe her father. Was he even paying attention to what she was saying for the past two hours?

Sakura giggled. "I think your father's right, Sarada. I don't think he hates you at all."

Now her mother wasn't listening? What the hell.

"He's so annoying," Sarada pouted and took a sip of water. Crying was hard work.

Sasuke froze in his seat and Sakura laughed, her shoulders shaking. "Oh my. Sasuke-kun, did you hear that?"

"Hn." Sasuke looked away, taking a sip from his tea. "I didn't hear anything."

"You're not listening to me!" Sarada cried. "He's annoying and now he hates me."

Sakura couldn't help but grin at her husband and flick his ear lightly. "Will you tell her or will I have to tell her what you said to me?"

"Sakura…" His eyes narrowed at her, and she only smiled brightly in return.

She giggled. "Sarada, dear, you take after your father so much."

"I don't see how this is funny, Mama." She glared. Honestly. Her mother was acting weird.

Sasuke sighed and stood from the table. "Fine, I'll leave it to you." He poked his daughter's forehead before leaving the apartment.

Although Sarada appreciated the gesture, she was still bewildered. Her parents had this thing wherein if they looked at each other, they had secret conversations going on. It could last from a split second to a full minute and Sarada always felt so disgusted as a child whenever she saw it. As she grew older, she found it sweet. But right now?

It was hella annoying.

"Mamaaaa," She whined. "What is it?"

Sakura placed her arm on the table and rested her chin on her palm. "Darling, I think you know exactly why you're feeling this way. You just have to stop denying it, and please, don't be like your father because Boruto sounds like he isn't half as perceptive as I am."

Her lower lip jutted out. No one was ever as perceptive as her mother was. "What is it? I don't get it… What did Papa tell you?"

"Your papa…" she giggled like a love-struck school girl. "Back when we were younger, I thought your father hated me, too. You know what he always told me?"

Her heart started beating a little faster. "What?"

Sakura smiled. "He always told me I was so annoying."

Sarada's eyes went wide and she felt like the whole world crashed on her.

No way…

She did not… She was _not_ in love with Boruto Uzumaki.

A conversation they had in his house replayed in her mind. She had called him annoying so many times, and he teased that she was saying something else. He was delusional, and she still thought so. But now that her mother was explaining this to her…

It was all making sense.

Sarada pouted. "Can we change the topic? I don't like this… I don't like what it's insinuating." She was such a pouty baby it was making Sakura laugh.

"Okay, okay…" Sakura giggled. "Your father and I are planning to go to a lake for Valentine's Day. Do you want to join us?"

"Valentine's Day?" Sarada asked… "I think I might have plans." _With Boruto_. Wait, no. They weren't speaking anymore. "I mean, no, I don't have plans."

Sakura hummed. "Alright, well, it's not too late to make plans, you know?"

"Do you think I… can make plans?" Sarada asked her mother.

She smiled widely. "I don't doubt it one bit, Sarada."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She is her father's daughter, therefore this really shouldn't have been a surprise. Don't you just hate it when rumors get the better of you? Mix it up with fear and insecurity and you got a whole lot of bad things coming for you. Being in denial is so hard. It's easy to tell people to suck it up and confess, but if you were in this situation, would you have the courage to brush it all off and carry on?
> 
> How do you think Boruto would cope? Was it fair for him to simply let her go? Let us know in the reviews!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kairi and Tyy


	22. A Not So Cold Night

There were no words to express Boruto's devastation after his last personal chat with Sarada. It had been a week since it happened, and he was no better today than he had been any other day. While everyone else was all grins and giggles about Valentine's Day coming up, Boruto was still sulking over his not break up with Sarada.

They weren't together. She was right, but that's not how he felt.

Was it?

Somehow, Boruto had grown to care deeply about her. He looked forward to picking her up every morning for work, even if it put him coming in later than he liked. He liked driving her home, knowing she was safe and warm and not squished between a crowd. He liked having meals with her and everything else they did together.

Then she made it clear that there was nothing between them—made him realize that he was jeopardizing her reputation, which mattered to him. His didn't, he didn't give a damn what people thought of him and he didn't think of Sarada as his employee.

He wouldn't be her boss forever.

None of it mattered anymore though. Whatever it was or wasn't between them was over and done with and as much as it hurt, Boruto was able to maintain his professionalism. Except for when he confronted his father about his position, beyond ready for it to be over.

Boruto never asked for any of this, but he had come to like working at Ichiraku Ramen Corp. it was his dad's baby, nothing to do with him, but he liked and respected his team, he enjoyed how organized everyone was, in spite of their gossiping tendencies.

What happened with Sarada had pushed Boruto to the edge and he was stressed on a level he'd never reached before. Then he received a phone call that gave him that final push until he couldn't take it anymore.

Looking at the caller ID, Boruto sighed deeply, his frown seeming permanent over the past week. He stared, letting it ring for a moment and then finally answered.

"Mitsuki." He greeted calmly, waiting for his old uni friend to say something that would get him worked up.

"Bo-ru-to," Mitsuki sounded happy, a little too happy and it unsettled Boruto because he imagined that creepy smile he had on whenever talking about a matter of importance. "I thought you would never answer. I've been calling for the past few days."

Boruto had too much on his mind to take on anything else. He was still trying to figure out why he'd answered this time. "I've been busy. You know it."

He hummed before answering. "Always needed by everyone else, as per usual. But really, when are you going to stop playing with small money and join us again?"

Always straight to the point, and without holding anything back. No matter how offensive. Typical Mitsuki.

"As soon as I can." Boruto sighed. He had been waiting for a long time to do things right and go big with this one. "I'm not backing out on you."

Mitsuki snickered. "Of course not. There's a new tech startup and it's worth looking into. I'll send it to you and let me know how much you're going to invest."

"Right." He wanted time to be able to focus on the things that meant the most to him. But he was confused about those things right now. There were new things on his mind. "I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I can."

"Alright." Mitsuki put the phone down, and Boruto felt relieved to have it over with. Though the new proposition sounded interesting, he had to take care of something first.

Boruto went straight to Naruto's office after that phone call. He didn't know what he was doing anymore—but he knew it wasn't what he wanted to do and this wasn't the right place for him. Sure he could do the job well, but that didn't mean he was the one for it.

The position wasn't ever truly his.

It belonged to Sarada.

"Dad," Boruto called after a swift knock and letting himself peek into the office.

Naruto looked up from his laptop and gave him a warm smile. "Boruto. Yes?"

Boruto stepped inside, closed the door behind him and then walked over to take a seat across from his dad's desk. "I'm done here. I've done everything you've asked of me and I can say with absolute certainty that Sarada is more than ready to take over." He didn't hesitate to speak his mind because he was over it all. It was time to settle things and move on with his life.

He put his laptop away and turned to face his son. "You said we would give it at least six months to a year before we come to a conclusion. It's only been three… did something happen?"

"You don't need me, that's what happened. Sarada can handle it. You just need to have someone fill her current position so we can make this happen. I have other obligations that I'm more _invested_ in."

His brows furrowed together. "I don't understand. I know Sarada is capable but she only started handling people three months ago. And—invested in? What are you going to go back to that business Mitsuki has?" Naruto shook his head. "Something doesn't feel right, son. Tell me what this is really about."

"You know how much it means to me. Mitsuki and I were in it together from the beginning. I took a step back but only to finish school. I should have been back in much sooner but I can't focus on _this_ too." He was not about to follow his father's questions up.

If he did, word vomit was likely.

Naruto waved his hand to stop him. "I know that, Boruto. And a deal is a deal. You can do what you please after you do this for me. But you didn't answer my last question. Did something happen between you and Sarada for this to come about?"

Boruto flinched. "Why the hell would you think that?" He scoffed, turning up his nose.

Naruto smirked. "I can sense your guilt. Is it because of what I've been hearing?" He gave him a pointed stare. "And they haven't been good things."

 _No._ Boruto was not going to do this. He couldn't take it anymore. But how was gossip getting all the way to his dad? "What? What have you been hearing, huh? Please enlighten me."

Naruto sighed deeply and looked at his laptop for a briefer moment. "Let's just say your mother and I hope you've been using protection." He then turned his gaze back to Boruto. "Have you?"

"Shit." Boruto gasped, face losing its color as he realized that _no_ , he hadn't been. But wait… Sarada was a smart girl. Definitely on birth control.

They were protected enough.

" _Shit_?" Naruto's brows raised. "I don't like the sound of that, son."

"Shit? I mean… _shit._ " Boruto groaned and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"The rides to and from work would make sense," Naruto added. "And you are not spending half as much time as you used to with Himawari." Naruto picked up a pen and slid a paper in front of him before grinning. "Lock the door if you're going to do it in your office next time."

"You walked in on us?!" Boruto screeched, face flaming hot in an instant.

He was going to die!

The pen fell from Naruto's hand. "Shit, Boruto. I was just joking. You did that?!" He couldn't believe it.

He was dead.

"Whoa, what? What?! No, no! I didn't! I—" he couldn't even explain himself. This was bad.

Naruto put a hand up and covered his eyes with the other, willing the image away. "Stop it, stop talking. Fuck Boruto don't be so careless!"

Like he was one to talk.

Naruto groaned. His wife was better at things like these. "We are not discussing this again but do be more cautious and," he sighed. "Going back to the matter at hand, how is Sarada taking it? You know these rumors are the worst kind."

"I assume she's doing well." Boruto shrugged, trying not to let his pain show. "I had to take a step back. I don't want to ruin her reputation or anything else… so please don't think any differently of her. I should have backed off from the beginning, ya know? Sarada is focused wholly on her job, I can promise you that. You won't tell anyone, right?"

"You think I want to tell your mother you haven't been using protection?" Naruto scoffed. "And assume she's okay? Haven't you spoken to her? I know Sarada, she gets the job done. You falling in love with her isn't going to change that for me." Naruto winked. "It only makes me like her more since you can vouch for her, too. This is a family business, after all."

Boruto felt his heart shatter and his face showed his brokenness. "She doesn't want to be with me… because I'm her boss." The words left him quietly, each one leaving him emptier.

His father's blue eyes softened, all the playfulness and cheer gone with it. "Oh son, I'm so sorry about that…" it made sense, but it also wasn't fair. He let out a loud sigh. "I'm sure this is an abuse of power, but let me see what I can do about turning it over to her earlier. I'll talk to Konohamaru about it." Naruto picked up his phone to call but stopped. "Wait, wait. You already asked her to be with you?"

"Maybe not in those words. But basically." He pouted. He was turned down flat too, how did that even happen? Surely he was a good guy.

Naruto facepalmed. "Hima was right," he muttered. "Boruto, I suggest you leave my office and fix things with her while I try to fix everything else." Those blue eyes hardened. "Don't come back here until you've settled things. Cut you from payroll if I have to," he muttered as he tinkered with his phone.

Now _that_ was an abuse of power.

Getting up from his seat slowly, Boruto blinked at his father. "Fix things with her? You mean… you think I can?" It didn't seem possible… but he would like that.

Naruto gave him a big grin and a thumbs up. "Of course you can, Boruto. If I'm perceiving things right, I know Sarada would want the same thing."

A small bud of hope quickly blossomed within him and Boruto felt a smile coming to his lips for the first time in a week now. "Thanks, Dad. I'll do my best." He said, happily turning on his heel to leave the office and head back to his own so he could gather his things and head out for lunch.

.

.

.

Mitsuki was pleased to learn that he wouldn't have too much longer to wait before Boruto would be backing him again. They spoke only once more, with Mitsuki agreeing to give Boruto his time to finish his work with his dad without nagging him. Boruto was really looking forward to getting back to his life.

He wanted Sarada back in his life too.

When he was in his office, he hoped to have a reason for them to see each other and he often thought about what he could say to make things right, now he could convince her to forgive him and maybe give him another chance. He just missed their friendship. They did have _something._

He missed it. He missed her.

Yet he could never find the right words, he could barely look at her for more than a few seconds without losing his mind. She never looked as if she shared his turmoil and she never tried to say anything to him either. Boruto wasn't sure if he would ever get the nerve to talk to her again, as a man and not her boss.

Valentine's Day was getting closer and Boruto thought of it a lot. It would be a great excuse to try and be her friend again. They could even go on one of those not dates and spend the evening together, just the two of them. Boruto wanted badly for her to want that as well, but sadly it was not meant to be.

The day before Valentine's Day, Boruto received an unexpected visit, from his little sister of all people. She came marching into his office, all puffy cheeks and poked out lips, an angry curve in her brows.

"Hima?" Boruto called, blinking in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"You're taking me out tomorrow," she declared, poking an angry finger on his chest. "Skip work if you have to!" She definitely wasn't messing around.

"B-but—but… _but,"_ he frowned, trying to gather the words, to tell her that he couldn't, that he had to go and see Sarada instead. The not date _had_ to happen. It was a chance Boruto couldn't miss.

Her cheeks puffed and she crossed her arms across her chest tightly. "I need an excuse to be busy tomorrow!"

Boruto was so caught up trying to make sense of this all that he didn't realize Inojin had stepped in his office, holding a folder with a colorful cover.

"Why?" Boruto frowned. She wasn't making sense. "Can't you just stay home?"

"No!" She insisted, and then her face contorted in worry. "There's this guy who asked me out tomorrow and I don't like him, I said… I said I already had a date but…" she looked down at her shoes. "But I don't."

Inojin popped next to her, it was almost pathetic how Boruto could see the hearts in his eyes. "I can be your date tomorrow."

Himawari looked at him, eyes wide and cheeks turning pink. Her lips parted and she held a hand to her heart.

"That won't be necessary. Or happening for that matter. Ever." Boruto scoffed, glaring at the blond cooing at his sister. "Inojin, can I help you?"

Inojin pretended not to hear him. He kept his eyes on Himawari. "I'm Inojin. I'm a designer." He held his hand out for Himawari to shake.

The girl giggled. "I'm Himawari." She took his hand in hers and shook it slowly, all the while looking at his eyes.

The door opened and Sarada peeked in, looking right at Boruto, and then jumping back a bit to see there were other people in his office.

"Hima!" She grinned. "Nice to see you again."

That pulled Himawari out of Inojin's grip, and the girl turned to face Sarada with a wide smile and hugged her. "Sarada-chaaan! I was hoping I would see you."

While everyone seemed way too distracted for his liking, Boruto snatched the folder from Inojin's hand, giving him the coldest look he could muster. "Get out of my office."

Inojin glared at him and winked at Himawari before leaving. The girl giggled and looked at Sarada, whispering something to her, which made them laugh. Boruto softened the instant they were the only other two in the room, his heartwarming to see them so happy and at ease with each other. He kept his lips sealed and his eyes on Sarada—it felt like ages since he'd last looked at her since he'd heard her speak so casual and friendly.

"He's single, you know." Sarada winked at Himawari, making her turn a deep shade of red.

"Better single than dead and buried," Boruto grumbled, eyes narrowing on Sarada— _the traitor._

The two girls glared at him, small pouts on their lips. It was both amusing and scary at the same time.

Sarada released her hold on Himawari and put a folder on his desk before leaving and closing the door behind her.

"What time should I pick you up?" Boruto asked as blue eyes hardened as he stared at his younger sister.

She matched his glare with her own before putting her nose up in the air. "If you're going to be mean, bro, I think I'll take Inojin up on his offer instead."

"Really? A guy who came into my office and so blatantly disrespected me… that's how we are now? And you and Sarada are so buddy-buddy, but you both treat me like I'm nothing." He was so sick of it all.

"What?" Himawari looked at him and then towards the door, lowering her voice. "Did you two fight?" Her eyes were wide, curious at what might have happened. "And I don't do that, bro. You know I love you."

Boruto sighed, long and frustrated. "There was no fight. She wanted me to back off, so I did. We don't talk anymore, as you can see." He faked a smile and rolled his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it. You need me tomorrow or not?"

Himawari walked right up to him and gave him a scary look. " _What do you mean you don't talk anymore?_ "

"Exactly that." He shrugged as if it didn't hurt at all. But oh, it did. "Tomorrow?"

She puffed her cheeks. "Okay, okay. We'll talk about it tomorrow. At six? Dinner and maybe a movie? I need to Ninstagram everything," she muttered. "But Sarada-chan can come…"

"She wouldn't," Boruto said quickly. She didn't want anything to do with him. He couldn't believe he'd actually been considering asking her out for Valentine's Day. "I'll pick you up at six. Dinner, movie. Fine."

Himawari softened. "Do you want me to fix it? I can help…" her voice was so small, and her eyes darted back on the closed door.

"Thank you, Hima," Boruto smiled, touched that she cared so much. "But there's nothing to fix. Sarada made that clear, alright? Don't worry about it. It's just… one of those things that weren't meant to be anything."

Sad as it was, that was the cold hard truth.

Her jaw slacked and she hit his chest lightly with closed first. "Why are you saying that? Don't say that! I'm telling mom!" She screeched. "Mom will be so angry with you and I won't stop her! Fix it!" She demanded, still hitting his chest with her closed fists. Good thing they weren't open, that's when he knew she was getting serious.

Himawari shouted in frustration and turned around to leave, "I'm telling dad!" She yelled before she slammed the door shut, completely not caring they were in the office and not at home.

.

.

.

Valentine's Day.

What a bitch.

Boruto didn't want to wake up for once. He didn't want to get out of bed. He had no motivation. No appetite, barely making it through a single cup of coffee before he left his home and headed to work. He dressed in his usual work clothes which were suitable enough for a nice date night with Himawari.

The sister who was pissed at him.

As soon as Boruto sat at his desk and started checking his emails, he noticed one from the Yamanaka Flower shop. It was a receipt and confirmation from the order he placed two days ago.

Shit, he was so stupid.

Had he really been going to give Sarada flowers? Why? Why would he do that?

No refunds.

At this point, it was best just to let the girl receive and toss the flowers. Hell, he didn't care. Not at all. He wouldn't so much as think about it again.

Who was he kidding? Boruto couldn't stop stressing the delivery that would be sent to her apartment. Flowers, signed by him. He couldn't go anonymous? Why the hell did he feel the need to use his name as if things were… _personal._ Not even close. He was just so stupid.

He supposed now things would be even more awkward, but not for long. Soon enough he would be gone for good and she would never have to look at him again—just as she wanted.

She only proved it more throughout the day. Boruto caught sight of her handing out gifts to everyone in the pantry during lunch.

Everyone, except him that is.

Seeing that caused him to lose his appetite for the second time that day and Boruto left the pantry to return to his office. The sooner he finished his work, the sooner he could leave.

It really was a sucky day. Boruto couldn't even look forward to going out with Himawari, but when they did, he smiled for her and did everything he could to make sure she had a great night. They had dinner first and then watched a two-hour movie at the theater. He cheered up a bit when she picked a new horror film that he'd heard about from Konohamaru and the two of them were all wide, intrigued and thrilled eyed through the movie. It was better than either of them expected it to be.

It was close to ten that night when Boruto was on his way home after dropping her off. For some reason, Himawari hadn't brought Sarada up even once and he was beyond grateful she hadn't. He was suffering enough in his own head. He drove home slowly, mind drifting to the difficult woman yet again. He wondered if she got the flowers… if she tossed them the instant they were delivered… if they repulsed her instead of making her smile as he hoped.

Boruto was sulking as he pulled into his driveway and parked in his garage. He got out of the car, chided himself for being so depressed. It was stupid. He was always so stupid. After locking his car, Boruto rounded it and headed for his front door, eyes on his feet as he walked. Until he made it to the steps and found a shivering from sitting on them.

"S-Sarada?" Boruto took a step back in surprise, blue eyes blown wide and heart stuttering.

Sarada was actually sitting on his doorstep, in the freezing night air, hugging a Tupperware container to her chest. He felt a million different things at finding her there, elation, excitement, thankfulness, fear, and _anger._

"What the hell are you doing? Trying to get yourself sick out here? It's freezing!" He wanted to march right over and snatch her up, to get her inside and out of the cold night air.

But he couldn't. He couldn't touch her.

Sarada slowly looked up, visibly shivering but smiled at him, anyway and handed him the Tupperware. There was a pink bow on it. "H-happy V-Valentine's Day." When he didn't make a move to take it she tried to explain, teeth slightly chattering. "I left it at h-home. I wanted to bring it over but you weren't here. So I waited."

Heart constricting and mind going blank, Boruto just gawked at Sarada for a long moment. It was a stronger shudder from her that pulled him back to reality and he offered his hand hesitantly.

"Come inside… it's freezing out here."

Her hand was shaky, but she took it and got up to her feet. Her hand was ice cold, and she wouldn't let go of her gift for him. Boruto's heart was pounding. He was so surprised—so confused, at an absolute loss. She said she forgot it at home? That had to mean she didn't mean not to include him. He didn't remember everyone else getting Tupperware with pink bows though.

Boruto led her over to the couch, sitting down close to her and wrapping his arms around her without thinking about it. She was _cold._ He just needed to warm her up a bit. The girl had to be out of her mind, being out so late when it was so cold and dark. He shuddered just thinking about her taking that damn train and unconsciously held her a little tighter.

"Sarada, you came all the way here just to give me this?" He asked, _totally_ talking about the gift and not _her._

Leaning into him more and letting her cheek rest on his chest, she nodded. "And to thank you… for the flowers." Her voice was so small, and she was still feeling cold to the touch.

 _She liked them._ "You kept them?" He asked, head tilting down until his cheek touched the top of her head.

Sarada hummed and nodded again. "I placed it in a vase, on my counter. Same thing I did to the roses you gave me."

"I'm glad." He smiled, eyes closing softly as he held her—to keep her warm. "But you're still not off the hook."

Sarada slowly sat up straight and looked at him, dark eyes looking soft and sad. "That's why I baked you these…" she handed him the Tupperware again. "I hope you like it."

Boruto accepted the gift with his left hand, not wanting to pull his right from around her. She was still so cold. "I was talking about how much trouble you're in for riding that damn train over here at night and sitting out in the freezing cold." He tried not to laugh as he opened the container to see what she'd made for him.

No matter what it was, he would love it.

"I hope you like cheesecake," she smiled.

"I love everything you make." He admitted, never been disappointed at any other time. "And it's strawberry." He grinned at her, blue eyes lighting up for the first time since before their not break up. "My favorite."

Her eyes lit up and a grin slowly broke out in her face. "Try one." She told him, looking excited that she had picked the right gift for him.

Boruto gladly grabbed one and took a bite right away, humming in delight from the taste of it. Only Sarada could make something so delicious. He chewed slowly as if to savor that single bite and when he swallowed he turned his head to grin at her.

"It's so good."

"Can I have a bite?" She asked.

It was a totally innocent question, so Boruto wasn't sure why it made him feel so flustered. "Yeah… of course." He said as he lifted the cheesecake up towards her mouth.

Sarada leaned in and took a small bite, taking more strawberry than the actual cheesecake. Chewing slowly, her eyes were locked on his. Right when she swallowed, she shifted her position on the couch, hand coming up to the side of his face. "Just a kiss," she whispered before she brushed her lips on his.

Softly. Slowly.

Sarada pulled away after a few seconds and sighed. "I'm sorry."

Boruto rested his forehead against hers, heart-pounding once again. Only she could affect him so strongly. "I'm sorry too." He whispered back and then he kissed her again. And again.

And again.


	23. Friends Celebrate Valentine's Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content. The section will be marked with xxx before and after. We expect our readers to be responsible for the content they consume.
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

Valentine's Day had finally come and Sarada couldn't exactly decide how she should feel about it. She already turned down her parents' offer to go with them to the lake for some time off and decided to stay for certain reasons.

Perhaps a few weeks ago, if Sarada were to imagine what she would be doing today, it would be spending the morning dancing in her kitchen, as she got breakfast ready, and a certain blond holding on to her hand and twirling her around. They would drive through the snow-laden streets, warm and toasty, and go to work, counting the hours until they could leave to spend more time together. Perhaps have dinner and snuggle at home until they both fell asleep.

That all sounded so much better than what Sarada was doing now.

Her Uber came in a lot faster than she anticipated and she rushed to get all of her things, only to curse at herself as soon as she got to her building because she forgot the most important gift—a Tupperware of strawberry cheesecake that she stayed up late to bake the other night.

Great. Just when she planned to swallow her pride and finally apologize to Boruto. The past two weeks were driving her crazy. He wouldn't speak to her, not even look at her, and Sarada couldn't even blame him. It was her fault, after all. She was the one who broke up with him.

Woah, wait. Not break up. That wasn't a breakup.

They weren't together so there wasn't anything to break up in the first place, right?

Right.

But the thing was… with every night that she spent alone, she couldn't help but think that there was something going on. They at least had some chemistry. With all that hand-holding they were doing, that couldn't have been all for naught.

The streets were festive, and everyone in the office seemed to be happy. Sarada pulled out the store-bought chocolates that she stuck notes on for the people in the office, happy to give them all away and receive their thanks and smiles in return. She also got a few gifts herself, and the company gave away roses and candies to everyone.

Although it was a pretty light day for work, she was a little disappointed that she didn't get anything from Boruto. Not that she _expected_ it. No, no. But it would have been really nice to get anything… even just a greeting would have been okay. All she wanted was for them to be friends again.

"No flowers, girl?" Chocho pouted.

Sarada smiled sadly at her. "Nope. Told you, there's nothing going on between us. There's no reason for him to give me anything."

There really wasn't. She just had to get over it.

Her colleague pouted. "I thought you made something for him, though? I saw you were still awake until past midnight or something."

She groaned. "I'm so stupid. I left them at home. I was in such a rush!"

Chocho rolled her eyes. "Sarada, seriously?"

"Yes!" She threw her hands up and then covered her face. "I feel so bad. I know he saw me giving chocolates away today and now he's going to think I didn't get him anything on purpose."

She shrugged and took a bite of her own chocolate. "You could get him something now, you know? Or why not go home and bring it to him?" She shrugged. "I'll just say you went to the bank or something."

"The bank?" Sarada deadpanned. "I don't think that'll work." She sighed. "Maybe I can just give it to him tomorrow. Traffic is going to be horrible and I'm sure the train will be packed."

Chocho rolled her eyes. "This is why you should drive. Or you know, just let him drive you."

She did miss him driving her around… and the way he would keep the car nice and warm for her, and hold her hand the entire time. "Yeah, maybe." Sarada sat up straight. "Maybe tomorrow, though. I know he's going out with his sister tonight."

Chocho snickered. "Yeah, Inojin is still heartbroken about that. But can you believe how in love he is? Only seen her yesterday and he already found her Ninstagram." She rolled her eyes. "I swear, I've never seen him like this."

She smiled at that and thought of what Himawari whispered to her back in Boruto's office.

" _He's really cute, Sarada-chan. Do you think he'll go out with me?"_

Sarada giggled at the memory, and how sulky Boruto was about it. Himawari even texted Sarada that day, asking if everything was okay between them and if she could have done anything to help.

Himawari was an angel. But she told her not to worry, and that she was going to work it out with Boruto soon.

Everything was going well until she left them at home…

Boruto left the office early, and she decided to do the same. The train was packed, even more than usual, and she nearly tripped a few times trying to get out on her stop. It was such an ordeal. As she walked to her apartment, she noticed the spot where Boruto used to park… it was empty now and she sighed.

She really missed him. There was no point in denying it anymore.

It was only six-thirty but the sky was pitch black, and the air was freezing. Sarada pulled her scarf closer to her chin, shuddering from the breeze that blew by. It looked like winter wasn't stopping anytime soon.

Fishing in her bag for her keys, Sarada nearly stepped on something on her doorstep. It was a large pink box with a bow on it and a card. It was too dark out, so she picked it up and brought it inside her apartment. Turning on the lights, she placed the box down on the dining table and placed her bags down.

A quick look at her kitchen counter, she found the Tupperware filled with cheesecake sitting pretty on it. She frowned at it, and her earlier annoyance at herself came back.

Not wanting to ruin her good mood, she turned her attention back to the mystery box. There was a light pink bow on it, and the Yamanaka Flower Shop's logo was on the card, along with an elegantly flourished "Happy Valentine's Day."

It was beautiful, and it made Sarada smile. It looks like she did get flowers, after all. "Oh, Papa…" she muttered. Her father was always spoiling her, but from the size of the box, her two uncles might have also pitched in. Sarada looked for her phone, already about to dial her father to thank him, but opened the card first to read the message. What she read almost made her want to cry.

_Happy Valentine's Day, Princess._

_Boruto_

Princess.

That cute nickname he calls her. It was probably meant to irk her but she found it all too endearing. He did treat her like a princess after all.

Carefully unwrapping the bouquet, she placed the arrangement in a flower vase with water and settled it on her counter. The whole thing took a little longer than she anticipated but she didn't want to ruin the flowers one bit. The entire time, her heart was swelling with happiness—it was the most beautiful bouquet she had ever received. And the best part was that it was from Boruto.

He wasn't angry with her anymore, quite the contrary, it looked like he wanted to be friends again. Sarada's face broke out into a big grin, and she felt like crying—happy tears this time. Her attention turned back to her gift and making up her mind, she took her purse, the Tupperware, and then left her apartment.

She had to go to Boruto to give her her gift. There was no other way, too important for it to wait.

The train was packed, and there were so many times wherein she had to fight people not to squish her pastries. There was no way in hell she would allow these to be ruined, even if she had to bite someone's head off, she would keep them in perfect condition until Boruto could have them.

The walk from the station to his house took quite some time, and the weather had gotten colder. It was only half-past seven when she arrived, and all the lights were out.

Right. He was out with Himawari today.

Sarada sighed and looked around, thinking of what she could do. It was still early, and she could always come back… but her pastries will then be squished and she didn't want that. She thought of calling and maybe asking what time he would be home but thought against it because she didn't want to ruin their evening, and it would be better as a surprise.

That means there was only one option left.

To wait.

Sarada sat on his front steps and huddled up close to herself, mentally cursing for not dressing up warmer and wearing a hat. The wind was picking up, making her back into the wall a little more to her side and clutch the pastries by her chest.

She would wait all night if she had to. Even if it was freezing. Sarada was just stubborn like that.

The first few minutes weren't so bad, and she spent some time reading on her phone. But when the first hour hit, the cold was already seeping into her clothes, making her shudder from time to time. Pulling her hands to her mouth, she breathed on them to stay warm and stuffed them between her thighs. The second hour was a lot harder to bear, her face already feeling numb, and she would rub at her cheeks from time to time to keep her blood flowing. In the third hour… her teeth were already chattering and she was upset with putting herself up to this. It was freezing, and she could get sick. If Boruto were to see her, surely he would be angry with her all over again. She looked at her watch and it was nearly ten in the evening.

What if he decided to stay at his parents' place?

Sarada closed her eyes and leaned her head on the wall. _Just a few more minutes,_ she told herself. If he doesn't show up, then she would go home and meet him early in the office on Monday instead. Her eyes stayed closed and her breathing started to slow. A nap sounded good, just a few minutes. She would wake up by the time he arrived, for sure.

Sarada woke up, Boruto's voice calling out her name, slowly chasing the darkness away. She was freezing, and couldn't even think straight. He was talking a lot and didn't make a move to touch her, he even took a step back.

Right. This probably looked weird. Freezing on his doorstep. She offered him his gift, and then he started getting angry with her. She almost wanted to laugh. This was too predictable. He ushered her inside and Sarada felt so relieved to be out of the cold, but she was still shivering and Boruto was the warmest thing she could latch on to… so she did.

It wasn't because she'd been waiting to be in his arms again. She was _cold_ and she needed _warmth_. This was strictly for logical purposes.

It felt good to be with him again, to have his arms around her and her cheek resting on his chest. Sarada thanked him for the flowers, too and was happy to know that he even bought it for her… despite all the things that have happened. Her heart started to hurt just by thinking about how hard it was for her.

Changing the topic, she asked him to try her baking, ecstatic that he loved strawberries—they were her favorite, too. Taking a bite, Sarada felt herself getting pulled closer to him. Completely involuntary but she wasn't going to stop it.

Why would she stop it? It felt so right… even if the reason they fought was wrong.

But maybe… "Just a kiss," she whispered. Just one. It wouldn't hurt. She came here not only to give him her gift but also apologize. One kiss was the best way to convey her feelings.

Friends kiss too, right?

When their lips brushed, Sarada felt the heat from his lips move to hers, and she no longer felt cold. Instantly warming at his touch and proximity. He tasted so sweet, like strawberries.

She apologized and he did too. What was more surprising was that he pulled her back in for a kiss. Their lips melting with each other and their breaths mingling. Sarada gasped when his hand moved under her thigh and made her sit on his lap. She couldn't help but smile as he kissed her face, and she rested on his lap and ran her fingers through his hair.

Sarada planted a kiss on his forehead and wrapped her arms around his neck, foreheads touching. "I missed you." No reason not to tell him anymore. She really did, and never wanted to be away from him again.

"I missed you too." Boruto breathed softly, sounding relieved. He had set aside the cheesecake, more interested in holding her close to him. "Are you feeling warm now?"

Sarada nodded but clung on tighter. "Better, but still cold… I should probably change." Her tummy grumbled loudly and she blushed. "And… eat."

Oh, she was going to get an earful. She hasn't eaten anything since lunch.

"Sarada, you skipped dinner?" Boruto chided her, though his voice was still soft. He sighed and pulled back from her, placing a chaste kiss to her cheek before getting to his feet and pulling her along. "Go find you something warm to wear and I'll make you something. Okay?"

She pouted at the loss of contact, but she enjoyed watching him walk to the kitchen. Boruto barely cooked, and everything he knew to make was breakfast related… breakfast for dinner sounded good to her, as long Boruto made it. Not wanting him to chide her again, she walked over to his bedroom and looked around.

It was a little messier than the last time she was here, some clothes were on the floor near the hamper, and his bed wasn't made perfectly. A small smile came to her face and she took a deep breath in through her nose. It smelled like him, bringing her so much comfort.

Looking around, she pulled out a dark blue sweater and a pair of his pajamas. This time, going pantless wasn't an option. Even as she peeled off her clothes and hung them on the back of a chair, she shuddered and hurriedly put on his clothes. They were far too big, but they were soft and comfy. She even pulled out a pair of socks for her to put on, giggling at the tiny burger print. It reached halfway up her calf, but it was fine. Anything to keep her warm.

The sounds of pots and pans moving around the kitchen made her leave his room, walking right up to him and wrapped her arms around his midsection, leaning her cheek on his back.

 _Warm_. It was crazy how being this close to him made her feel so safe.

"Better?" He asked and she could _hear_ his smile.

Sarada could feel another round of giggles bubble up from her. _He_ sounded so happy, _she_ felt happy. Why couldn't things always be like this for them? "Much better," her hold on him tightened and she nuzzled his back. "I smell bacon."

"Well, surprise. We're having breakfast." He chuckled.

"Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day." Perhaps a few months ago, it wasn't. Sarada always skipped breakfast, and only needed her coffee. But Boruto changed that for her.

Even when Boruto was moving around the kitchen, Sarada was still holding on to his waist, laughing that he was having a hard time moving but never told her to let go. She only did when he placed a plate full of bacon and four eggs on the table, with only one fork.

There was only one plate!

"Are you going to feed me?" She asked, a smug smile on her face.

"You bet." He gave her a smug look, blue eyes flashing mischievously. "Can't let my princess be hungry."

Sarada inched closer, opening her mouth for her first bite. Looking at the plate, she felt her mouth water. And what better way to eat than having her _not_ date feed her? Boruto was all grins as he raised a piece of bacon towards her lips, holding it there teasingly, giving her no choice but to come even closer to him.

Sarada leaned in to take it, eager for her breakfast-dinner and Boruto fed her as if he took pride in it. He never stopped smiling, he wasn't avoiding her gaze and he was offering everything to her instead of eating any himself.

"Okay?" He asked hopefully.

Chewing, Sarada nodded. "Really good." She stifled a laugh, talking while her mouth was full. What was happening to her? She swallowed. "More, please."

And saying 'please', too?

Life changed.

"Of course." His grin broadened impossibly and he offered her a forkful if eggs next. "We need that tummy full."

She couldn't agree more. Boruto kept feeding her until the food was gone and she couldn't have another bite—still not believing she ate two people's worth of food. A quick look at the clock and she was surprised to find it was nearly midnight. "How did it get so late?"

They were having fun, that's why. Their not dates just kept getting better and better.

"Time flies…" he mused as he carried the dishes to the sink, leaving them to be washed the next day. "Tired?"

"Freezing half to death is hard work, you know?" She joked.

"I still can't believe you did that. If you get sick, I'll never let you live it down." He huffed.

"I can't believe it either," she said to herself, more than at Boruto. "I'll be impressed with myself if I don't get sick," she laughed. Honestly. Three hours in the freezing cold? She had definitely lost her mind.

"Better get you to bed." He said, giving her a not so subtle look over. "I can put a movie on."

"Can we talk instead?" She asked, before smiling shyly at him. "While cuddling?" After realizing what she requested she quickly added, "To stay warm! I—I still feel cold."

Boruto hummed, smiling softly as he took her hand and pulled her close to him. "We can. Don't worry, I'll keep you warm."

Sarada wrapped her arms around his waist. It was amazing how well she fit in his embrace. "Okay." Having him as her own personal heater wasn't such a bad thing—not that he's hers, or anything—this was only so she would stay warm.

Leading the way to his bedroom, Boruto kept her hand in his, and let her settle on his bed as he changed into pajamas and a shirt. He slid under the covers with her and laughed when Sarada practically climbed upon him, turning him into her own pillow.

"So warm," she cooed, as she nuzzled her cheek on his chest some more. She really missed him and having him this close. "My pillow."

"Your pillow, huh?" He laughed softly and wrapped her in his arms once again, not bothering to turn the TV on. "I guess you're not mad at me anymore then…"

"No." How could she be? He made her breakfast-dinner and fed her. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No." He answered, lips brushing across the top of her head. "I was never mad at you."

Relief washed over her and she held on to him a little tighter. "But you wouldn't talk to me…" Sarada felt her heart twist just thinking about it. "Can we please not be angry with each other again?"

Again with the _please_. Who _was_ this girl?

"I didn't want to cause problems for you. You didn't want me causing you problems either. What else was I supposed to do? And you didn't talk to me either, ya know?"

Well… he's got a point. The first few days were easy but as it kept going on, it just made her feel lonely. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know what else to do." And she really didn't. Hearing rumors about her and people saying that her promotion was probably all because she was having an affair stung. People could really spin up the worst stories.

"It's okay. It's my fault. I liked things like they were, Sarada. I'd like things to be like that again… and soon, it will be easier for us."

She drew circles on his chest with her finger, thinking about how they could still have what they want and not have people talk. "Really?" Sarada asked, still thinking about solutions. "I want us to go back to how things were. It's been lonely." She said the last part as softly as she could, afraid it would come out too clingy.

"You were lonely?" He asked as if it broke his heart to hear it, then he confessed, "so was I."

Sarada shifted to look at him, eyes softening. "Extremely."

She moved up the pillow so they could face each other, removing her glasses in the process. She stroked his cheek with her finger and traced the whiskers on his cheek. Sarada had no other words left to say, so she closed her eyes and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Does this mean you'll stop taking the train and ride with me again?" He asked, returning the gesture by kissing her nose as well.

Sarada broke out in a fit of giggles. "You really hate the train, don't you?" Once she settled down, she nodded. "Yes, please. I also miss you waking me up in the morning."

"I get nauseous just thinking about it." He shuddered. "Makes me sick knowing you're on that thing with all those people. So good, I'll be waking you up again and taking you home and I don't want to hear any complaints."

She scrunched her nose and whined. "Not even before my coffee? Isn't my complaining the highlight of your morning?"

"You got me wrong." He laughed, nuzzling her neck with his nose. "I mean no complaining about riding with me. To and from work… everyday."

"Oh," she blinked and tangled her fingers in his soft hair. "Yes no complaining from me."

"I'm already excited for Monday morning." He sighed happily and kissed her neck, lips lingering for several seconds before pulling back a bit.

Her eyes shut at the contact, making her skin burn and a fire pool at the pit of her belly. She grumbled when he pulled away. Boruto wasn't playing fair. "Boruto…" if he was going to start, he better finish it.

"Hm?"

Sarada pulled away and jutted out her lower lip at him. Teasing her and playing innocent? How cruel.

Her pout only amused him and he laughed at her. "What's wrong, Princess?"

That lower lip jutted out a little more and she glared at him. "You know what you're doing."

"What's that?" He asked innocently, though the way he darted out his tongue to swipe across her pouty lips contradicted it.

Sarada grabbed his head and pulled him close for a heated, open-mouthed kiss, a moan escaping her throat. Her hand trailed down to his chest and she gripped on to his shirt, as she pulled away. Feeling satisfied at his surprised expression, but his blue eyes clouded over with want for her.

That should teach him to stop teasing her.

**xxx**

She grinned at him. "Nothing's wrong." Her hand slipped lower, past his stomach and down to his pajamas. "I think you might have one, though." He was already so hard.

Boruto grabbed her hand and moved, rolling them over until she was on her back and he was on top of her, shamelessly pressing his erection against her leg. "So you wanna play?" He asked slyly, sliding his fingers between hers with one hand while the other supported most of his weight.

Her back arched and she let out a scream at the sudden touch. Fuck. She missed that. But he was still teasing and it was pissing her off. Sarada pushed him off her and she straddled him, leaning down to whisper in his ear.

"I know you want to be on top, but you're going to have to fight me for it." She rolled her hips, pressing down on his hard cock, gasping from the feel of it.

Boruto grunted, hands going to her hips and gripping tight. "Really? I'm not so sure you could take it like this." He said, voice dropping lower, tinged with lust.

Sarada smirked and pulled the edge of his shirt up to reveal his abs and chest. "Maybe you're the one who can't take it, Boruto." Her hands wandered around as she traced kisses along his stomach, tongue darting out for quick licks and nibbling on his skin, working her way up to his neck and sucked hard, leaving a mark.

He grunted again, his hands started to roam as well. "As if." He scoffed, but it came out soft and more like a moan.

Sarada wanted to laugh at him but nibbled his earlobe instead. "What was that? I couldn't hear you over that moan."

"What? There was no _moan._ You're crazy."

_Crazy about you._

Sarada knew what she heard, and she wanted to hear more of it. Her tongue flicked out to lick the shell of his ear as she rolled her hips on him, nearly losing herself to how good all this friction felt.

Boruto bit his lip, determined not to make a peep as he started pulling her shirt up. "Stop teasing and strip already."

Sarada giggled and let him remove her shirt, quickly tugging at his own to remove. "It's all coming off this time," she reminded him.

He chuckled as he sat up, taking her right along with them and helping her remove his shirt. "This time, fine."

She looked down, they were both still in pajamas. " _All of it,_ " she emphasized.

"Take it off," he said, flexing his hips playfully. "Don't be scared."

Sarada scoffed and held on to the garter, lips hovering over his for a quick second, before pulling away and taking his pajamas down. Boruto wanted to be difficult tonight, but she was up for the challenge.

"Taking your sweet time? If I was on top, we'd already be fucking," He told her smugly, fingers trailing up and down her thighs.

"I'll believe it when I see it," she responded.

Boruto laughed and flipped their positions again, hooking his fingers in her bottoms and her panties to remove them hastily. "All you had to do was ask, Princess."

Sarada pouted at him, but her need was a little more important to her than her pride right now. Her hands roamed his back, slightly smiling at remembering how she left it all scratched up before. Perhaps she would do it again this time.

"Don't disappoint me, now," she teased, spreading her legs for him.

"Have I ever?" He smirked as he loomed over her, taunting her by ghosting his lips across hers. "I'm pretty sure I've _thoroughly_ satisfied you every time."

Sarada lifted her head to catch his lips in a passionate kiss and then smirked. "Then let's add another time to build your case."

His only response was another kiss, long and hard as he trailed his fingers around the soft flesh of her breasts, teasing her nipples with a touch a little too gentle for her current level of need. That soft touch tortured her for too long before he worked his way lower, circling her belly button and then finally going lower, hips raising off of her to give his hand room.

Instead of giving her a firm and precise touch like she wanted, he just barely let his fingertips glide around her folds. Sarada shimmied her hips, trying to force his hand to slip between, to find her sweet spot, to give her more. She needed so much more. When he finally gave in and slid his digits across her needy nub—feeling how wet she was for him, they both moaned.

There were no other words spoken from either of them, aside from the occasional whimper or cry of each other's names. His mouth and hands worshipped her body all over, and then he slowly drove her over the edge with his tongue. Sarada didn't mind his teasing because it was so promising and even after her first orgasm, she was hungry for more.

When they finally became one again, Sarada couldn't keep her moans down even if she had to, but Boruto was no better. His breath was hot at her ear, heavy and loud as his hips moved so sinfully and slowly. The steady pace he set didn't make her second orgasm's approach any slower though. The build seemed so fast, so intense.

He spoke her name in the softest tone, whispering sweet nothings to her once they were closer—ready to topple over and reach the highest peak of their pleasure together. There were so many kisses, the most tantalizing caresses and he'd hold her hand at times, resting them by her head on the bed. It was so soft and tender, so overwhelmingly gratifying that Sarada had tears pricking at her eyes by the end.

**xxx**

Once it was over and they laid tangled up in the bed together, Boruto ran his fingers through her hair languidly, massaging her scalp. Onyx eyes closed and she listened to the steady beat of his heart, ear resting right over his chest. It slowed right along with hers and she found the sound of it just as soothing as his touch.

This Valentine's Day was warm and tender, despite the cold start. Sarada was more than happy for it.


	24. Filler 1: Moving Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read this as it will explain what will happen in the next 9 chapter updates:
> 
> Sincerely Yours follows the calendar for updates, we decided to place in fillers until the next chapter that fits the main storyline, and still keep up with updating twice a week.
> 
> These fillers belong to the same AU, but don't necessarily belong in the current timeline. We have fillers that explain more on their past, and little interactions that don't fit into the main plot that we wanted to have. The idea of fillers actually came about when our friends in the BoruSara Discord server mentioned that this story had arcs. Hahaha!
> 
> Tyy and I had fun writing these fillers, some are more serious than the others and the genre for each filler changes accordingly. We hope you enjoy them, too. :)
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

Just another day at the office—another _long_ day, forcing Boruto to work after hours in order to settle a sudden inventory crisis. Of course, Boruto had asked Sarada to stay as well and help him settle things and that ended in the two of them having dinner together in his office, eating and talking more than actually getting anything done.

It was better to talk over a meal in good company, they could always breeze through the work afterward and tonight they were actually taking the time to get to know each other more. It all started with them exchanging silly stories from the childhoods and Boruto admitted to Sarada how he used to be such a brat, always causing trouble for his dad just to do it and she told him about how she used to sneak food outside for a stray cat that somehow turned into a dozen different cats that her parents had been shocked to find.

Boruto liked the thought of her wanting to care for those helpless kittens, making sure they were fed and given attention any chance she got. He laughed when she smugly stated that she found each and every one of the kittens forever homes that were safe and loving. It was cute and it really made him smile.

The conversation deepened soon enough, from silly childhood stories to slightly more controversial topics. "Being a troublemaker means you got a lot of attention from people, I'm sure." Sarada laughed. "It makes me wonder why you aren't dating, honestly."

She was definitely taking a shot at him, and while Boruto was unsure of the best way to respond to her, he knew he couldn't just say nothing. "Don't tell me you want to exchange tragic, ancient love stories too." He muttered, giving her a knowing look.

Her dark eyes lit up and she smirked. "It sounds like you have your fair share. But why not," Sarada stretched and looked outside of his office. "No one will be around to hear it, anyway. Would you want to go first, or should I?"

"You." He said easily, unable to think of anything relationship wise that he would want to share with anyone, including her.

Sarada tilted her head to the side and averted her gaze. Leaning back on the chair, she sighed. "I have a number, but I'll tell you the most recent, which isn't so recent." Although she wanted to sound casual about it, there was no mistaking it still hurt her to recall. "My first boyfriend, back in high school… he cheated on me, and it really changed my view on love, you know? I never thought someone I put all my trust in would do something like that to me… But, that isn't the main story, sorry… I didn't date for a good year after that. When I graduated and got into university, I met someone and we really hit it off."

She grinned and picked at her food for a bit. "We did everything together. Spent so much time together. When you're young and in love, you get all these wild ideas like traveling the world together and moving in. I really thought 'this is it. He's the one'."

Boruto's brow twitched and he took a bite of his chicken to keep himself from saying anything. He really did have a word vomiting issue. It surprised him to hear Sarada speaking of someone this way. He didn't like it, but he was curious and wanted to know what happened to them.

"We stayed together well until after university. He got delayed and had to stay, while I found work here in Ichiraku. It was hard trying to work and come and see him. But we made it work, at least, I thought I did." Sarada refused to look at Boruto. "How we broke up was kind of weird. We didn't fight or have any tension between us beforehand, it was like… he just woke up one day and decided he didn't love me anymore."

"The fuck?" Boruto scoffed, the words slipping out before he could stop them. "I mean… _what?_ That doesn't even make sense." How could anyone just wake up one morning and not love someone anymore—especially Sarada.

Sarada laughed and had a sip of her drink. "I know, that's what all my friends said. As I said, it was weird. You don't just stop loving someone one day, right?"

"No… you don't." He agreed quietly, setting his fork down. "But love is hard. It's complicated… and downright frightening."

She nodded thoughtfully. "It is, but it's also wonderful. Imagine, baring your heart and soul to someone like that." Sarada shuddered and went back to her food. "Anyway, looking back, maybe I should have fought for us a little more but that just pulled the rug under me and we stopped talking after that conversation. I… I haven't heard from him since." She paused to chew and swallow her food, watching his reactions closely. "I wanted to give up working here for him, you know? He was about to graduate and got a job three cities away. I wanted to quit and move to be with him. It was a good thing I didn't."

"I can't believe you even considered something like that." Boruto gawked at her. His appetite had been replaced by nausea and his face showed exactly how he felt about it. It was too hard to believe that Sarada of all people was that in love… to consider quitting her work and moving just for some guy.

The corner of her lips tugged up, her voice lowering. "I loved him that much." Sarada sighed and shifted in her seat. "But that was the end of it, and I thought to myself, I don't want to put myself in that much of a disadvantage anymore. I focused on my career and barely made time for dating since. I guess I just… I don't want to get hurt like that anymore."

"I understand," Boruto said under his breath. He could relate to wanting to protect yourself from that kind of pain. He never wanted to love anyone again. He never wanted to hurt again. "I guess I feel the same as you. All that nonsense is not for me." He'd gladly stay single for the rest of his life first.

She hummed and nodded her head. "For a while, I thought that, too. But I do miss dating and being in love. More than the feeling of being in love with love, it's more like… I want to have someone to call ' _mine._ '"

"Oh?" Boruto's brows rose in interest. This was an unexpected finding for him. Sarada wasn't completely focused on her career and she was actually hoping to have another relationship with someone. Something real. It was scary just thinking about it. "Maybe you should go for it." He shrugged, trying not to sound as bitter as he felt.

"Maybe if I find someone I like," Sarada shrugged a shoulder up. "Or if someone finds me." She grinned and then nudged him with her elbow. "How about you?"

Being unready to have the ball in his court, Boruto cleared his throat and tried to think up something appropriate to share. "Well… I did like this girl once in middle school. Told her how I felt and she didn't want anything to do with me afterward." That was the start of his dealings with love and relationships. He'd always regretted saying anything at all.

Sarada lifted a brow. "And then? That's it?"

Boruto sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "No. There's a lot. I fucked up more than anything honestly… can't say that I have any good memories when it comes to dating or love." Sex was easy, everything else was a complication.

She crossed her legs and averted her gaze. When she finally looked at him, Sarada asked quietly, "Absolutely none?"

"No." He answered easily. "Nothing good. And all the bad is fucking tragic. It's always been horrible for me. I'm not meant for love."

"Oh… That's too bad. I always thought you would be perfect for it."

"Me?" He snorted. "No… after what happened in middle school, I was never able to come out and say how I felt to anyone. In high school, I fooled around with a lot of girls. Well, not until my last two years though. I found out a lot about girls back then. Thought they were all the same and all they cared about was using guys. I did my first investment in my senior year and word got around. Would you believe 'middle school girl' actually asked me out after that?"

Sarada's face contorted and scoffed. "Wow. What a user… Did you go out with her though? Please say no."

"No. Of course, I didn't. Actually, I've never _dated_ anyone. There was only one girl after that, that I actually liked." It was always the hardest to think about her and Boruto was still so full of regrets, but he couldn't help how he felt.

"But you have been with other girls before? Like, you just didn't call it a 'date'? And see, you did like someone. Tell me about her." Sarada inched closer to him, pulling her chair forward and leaning her cheek on her hand, giving Boruto her undivided attention.

"Been? If that involves fucking, sure. Anything else, no. And she's… she was complicated. I could have probably had something with her, but I was already so done with the idea of love. Even after I realized how I felt about her, I refused to admit it. We were friends though and deep down, I always knew that she liked me as more than just a friend. If I could go back, I would have gone about it differently. I would have told her… I would have shown her. But I didn't…" it was one of his biggest regrets.

The shift in the air made Sarada hush. Her eyes drifted to his, and then his hand. Sarada placed hers over his. "Can you tell me why?"

"Why I didn't tell her?" He asked for clarification, wondering idly why he was actually able to talk about this with Sarada at all.

She nodded, smiling softly at him. "Only if you want to, though. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

He should have been uncomfortable. Truthfully, he was still uneasy, but it was only because of how touchy he was over this topic. Boruto didn't mind talking to Sarada about it, even if he should have. "I loved her. I know I did, but I was afraid. I didn't want to lose what we had or push her away, but that's exactly what I was doing. Things got awkward and she distanced herself from me. I know she was hurting, knowing about all the other girls I was sleeping with. The last time I spoke to her, she told me everything—how she'd been feeling all along and— _shit…_ I was drunk and such a fucking idiot. I _still_ didn't tell her. I just trampled on her feelings."

There was a silence that filled the room, and perhaps after hearing his stupid mistakes, Sarada should have been afraid and let go of his hand. But she didn't. Instead, she turned his hand over and laced their fingers together.

"Did you try to talk to her after?"

With her hand in his and her soft, unjudging tone, Boruto still found himself calm enough to answer her. "I never got the chance, Sarada."

Sarada averted her gaze and let her other hand wrap around his. "It's okay. It sounds like you two were really close. I'm sure deep down, she knew how you really felt about her."

"Even if that is true, which I doubt, it still doesn't make it alright. I should have told her. I could have made her happy, but instead, I made her hurt. I think I'll always regret not making things right."

"Maybe you can't make things right by her, but you can still make things right." Sarada looked at his face and continued carefully, "Next time, you'll know what to do and that's how you make things a little better." She offered him a warm smile and moved her chair a little closer to him. Enough for her to bring his hand to her cheek and lean on it.

Boruto hummed, agreeing with her completely. "That experience definitely opened my eyes. I stopped taking everyone for granted and still to this day do everything I can to make the people special to me know that I care. Sometimes it's still hard, but I try and as long as I'm doing that, I hope I can keep moving forward. I don't ever want to lose someone precious to me again without them knowing that I care."

Her smile widened, although she moved her lips to brush against his knuckles, Sarada never removed her dark eyes from him. "See? You're already making it up to her. You learned and are moving forward. That's the best thing you can do for her."

"Thanks." Boruto smiled sadly. "I do feel a little better about it now. She's never been easy for me to talk about before. Maybe you're right… she wasn't one to hold a grudge, but it's me who can't forgive myself for it."

"Really? I'm glad you told me, then." Sarada smiled, still brushing her lips on the back of his hand. "Since my breakup happened while I was here, a lot of people already know about it." She shrugged. "If she can forgive you, there's no reason for you not to forgive yourself. I don't think she'd want to know you're suffering still."

"Probably not." Boruto sighed, focusing on her lips on his hand. "I still wish I could make it right though. Find closure or something… does that make sense?"

"It does," Sarada nodded. "Maybe you still can, if you really think it would help." She sighed and stopped rubbing her lips on his hand, in favor of murmuring against it. "I thought I would be brave enough to seek for closure, but I guess I'm not."

"Unfortunately, I don't have the option." He frowned. "But you… fuck that guy, Sarada. He wasn't right for you. He was a fucking idiot."

That made her giggle. "Maybe he just found someone better, but I'm afraid to find out. I blocked him out, though some of his friends are still my friends, but we don't keep in touch. And what do you mean you don't have an option?" She raised her brow. "You always do. It may not be a good option, but it's still an option."

Boruto closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, pulling her hand over to his cheek. "She died, Sarada." He whispered, his heart aching at having to voice that irrefutable truth.

Sarada's eyes widened by the tiniest bit and her breath caught in her throat. "Oh, Boruto…"

"It's okay. I've moved past it, but I do regret how things happened between us. There's nothing I can do about it now, only make sure that I never let something like that happen again. If I love someone, I have to tell them and more importantly, _show_ them."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "It seems like you show it well." Sarada smiled meekly.

"You really think so?" He smiled then and placed a soft kiss to the back of her hand. "Then why am I always pissing off everyone? _Girls._ So difficult."

Sarada giggled, leaning a little closer to him. "Maybe because you're an idiot," she whispered. "Just a hunch."

"Alright, fine. I'll accept that. I deserve it." Boruto laughed too. "I don't mean to be though. I only want to do right by everyone."

"I think you do just fine." Sarada smiled.

Boruto smiled back at her and then closed the distance between them to kiss her cheek. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."


	25. Filler 2: Meetings and Not Dates

When Boruto couldn't manage to get Sarada alone, it really frustrated him.

He only needed to see her about work. Nothing more. Definitely not because he had an urge to see her beautiful face or stare into those endless pools of obsidian eyes—or get a good look at those legs that he was like _not_ attracted to.

No.

It was all business.

Yet even though it was business and nothing more, Sarada was seeming busier and busier these days. New products were launching, sales and finances were always needing to be discussed and there were constant other things that needed to be addressed, thus leaving Sarada attending one meeting after the next. Boruto couldn't even catch her at her desk, much less get her on his.

Oh, but that's not what he wanted. He only wanted her in his office so they could have their own discussion… about work. His attempts didn't get him far—not that he was trying hard or anything, he just kept trying to catch her and couldn't. It was only after a few days of this that he finally reached out to her.

' _Sarada, let's meet for lunch.'_ He sent it to her in an email and then sat staring at his inbox, waiting and waiting for a reply. It wasn't looking like he would be getting one anytime soon.

It had still been early morning when he sent that email, and by the time lunch hour arrived, he still had yet to hear from her. Boruto wasn't going to let something so ridiculously silly bother him, but he couldn't help himself from pulling up her outlook calendar and skimming over her schedule. She was busy, busier than she normally was and that was really saying something. It was hard to believe she was attending so many meetings and almost none of them required his presence.

There wasn't much he could do about it, for now, so Boruto forced himself to forget it for the time being and focus on his own duties. It was during lunch hour that he finally got a response, a too late response that disappointed him. Sarada explained that she was having lunch out, on her way to another meeting that was outside of the company and wouldn't be back until later in the afternoon.

Even then, Sarada had many things to do and Boruto himself ended up being pulled into Naruto's office for a meeting between the two of them and Konohamaru. He never got the chance to speak with Sarada directly, or at all really and he wasn't happy about it. Days had passed.

_Days._

It seemed like the only time he would catch her would be after hours and he even debated scheduling a meeting for the two of them at that time, but considering the extra load of work she'd been taking on lately, Boruto couldn't bring himself to do it. He could catch her before she left though. Maybe she was hungry or needed a ride. He wouldn't have any problems feeding or giving her a ride.

Boruto did wait until he was sure the others had left before he poked his head out of his office and zeroed his gaze on her. She was still at her desk, packing away her things and he didn't see anyone else around, so he didn't hesitate to make his way over to her.

"Sarada," he called in greeting, feeling as if this was the first time he'd seen her in ages. She looked nice as always and didn't seem too stressed, but that didn't mean that was the case for her. If he had as many meetings to attend as she did, he would certainly be stressed.

She looked up from packing her belongings and gave him a tired smile. "Hello. Do you need anything?"

Boruto's face threatened to scrunch up at the question, but he fought to school his features. _Did he need something…_ yes. Yes, he did. "Yes." He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at nothing in particular. "I mean… no. Not really." He wanted to see her, but he didn't have a good reason for that so he really didn't know what to say.

"Oh," Sarada sighed in relief. "I thought you might need me to stay. I wanted to get dinner." She packed the rest of her things, carefully placing it in her bag and did a sweep on her desk before zipping it up.

That sounded like an invitation—or at least, an opportunity that Boruto would not be missing. "No, of course not. You've been working hard. Dinner sounds good, why don't I treat you?"

"That does sound good." She hummed and held on to her bag. "Alright. Are you craving anything?"

Oh, he definitely could think of a few things he was craving, but none were good related. "Nothing in particular. We can have whatever you want."

"I think I want pasta," Sarada smiled. "Is that okay?"

"Absolutely." He nodded a bit too eagerly. Anything she wanted was fine with him. "Are you ready?"

Sarada's smile turned into a grin and she nodded. "Yes. Let's."

Boruto grinned at her and happily took her bag, carrying it for her so she only had to deal with her purse. He was probably more excited than he should have been. It wasn't like this was a date or anything, just two people having dinner who happened to work together. That didn't mean he wouldn't be polite and treat her like the princess that she is. Boruto always did what he could to be a proper gentleman.

He opened doors for her, always offered his hands to make it easier for her to get in and out of his car. It must have been a challenge between those heels and that sexy skirt she was wearing, so he needed to be considerate. Boruto enjoyed helping a woman in need.

"Things have been busy recently, huh?" He commented as they rode along. The Italian restaurant they decided on already wasn't more than a ten-minute drive from the office, but Boruto wasn't in any rush. He wanted to enjoy every moment he had with Sarada.

Not because he liked her. But because she was good company.

"It has been," she breathed and leaned back on the seat. "The meetings just won't end, I can't even get anything else done…"

"Mmhmm… like responding to my emails. Thankfully I wasn't dying or anything," He grumbled, feeling pouty at the fact that she didn't have time for him. Not that she should, they weren't together.

"Dying?" Sarada tried to stifle a laugh. "If you are, I think it's better you call me."

"How can I call you when you're always in a meeting?" He asked with a huff. He was going to have to have a talk with his dad. Nobody should have so many meetings. It was unnatural.

This time, she didn't try to stop herself from laughing. Her cheeks were tinted pink, eyes closed in delight. "Fine, send a text, then and I'll get to you as fast as I can." Sarada peeked at him, a teasing grin on her face. " _After_ my meeting."

 _Permission to text?_ "Hm. Fine. I guess I could text you." Maybe. If he had time… Boruto knew even if he didn't, he would make time for her. Luckily, he had time so he didn't need to worry about it.

The restaurant wasn't too busy, considering it was a weeknight, but it was dinner time for most so the place was still filled with many customers. Boruto and Sarada were led to a booth in a corner and he was pleased with how private the tables were. Others were around, but not close enough or directly within the sight of each other for them to be able to be nosy. Right now, it was as if it was just him and her. Nobody else.

They both ordered right away and once their waitress left them, Boruto smiled across the table at his _not_ date. "Are your meetings decreasing anytime soon?" He asked casually, lounged back lazily in his seat.

"Honestly, no," Sarada sighed. "I have four meetings tomorrow. And I think two for the following day."

That was outrageous. "It's that time of year I suppose." He sighed. "You're doing a lot, just make sure you eat and sleep properly."

"I usually take my lunch a little late, but I get to sleep a bit, yeah." Sarada also leaned back on the couch, trying to relax. "I'm so tired," she muttered.

"Maybe you should take a day for yourself," Boruto suggested, even though it meant she wouldn't be in the office where he would have access to her.

"I can't, not when everything is this busy," she shook her head and took a sip of water. "Maybe when it calms down, but I can't any time soon."

Boruto wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or annoyed. He wanted her around and needed her at work, but he also wanted her healthy and rested properly. He would have to see what he could do about lightening her workload. "Just take it easy when you can, okay?"

Although she smiled and nodded, Boruto knew she wasn't going to stop working hard. He would have to step in and do what he could to give her less to worry about, and he would do that, gladly. Sarada deserved to have easier days. It was important for her to do her best, but she always did and sometimes a little break was needed.

"How about you? Aren't you busy with the new management program?" Sarada leaned back on the couch again, covering her mouth as she yawned.

Boruto frowned and hoped the food would hurry so he could get her home. Even if he did enjoy her company, it wasn't worth keeping her from getting a decent night's sleep. "I'm busy as I normally am, nothing I can't handle. Not half as many meetings as you have either." He put on a smile for her, though he was upset. Sarada worked too hard sometimes.

She nodded and hummed. "Okay. Yeah, everyone just needs me these days, you know?" Sarada grinned, but it didn't mask how tired she looked. "Maybe I should get an intern to do the small things for me." She paused for a bit and waited for him to react.

"Or you could put your two goofballs to work," Boruto grumbled. He understood that the majority of the weight was on Sarada's shoulders, but she had to learn how to deal with this on her own… even if he hated it.

"They do a lot, too," she sighed. "It doesn't look like much, but it really is."

Boruto sighed just as their food arrived. He didn't say anything as the waitress placed their plates on the table before them, waiting until she was gone to reply. "I know they do, but you can't be scared to reach out to them for help with smaller things when you need it."

Sarada pouted at that but eventually nodded. This was her first time handling people, and delegating tasks really wasn't something Sarada was used to. She always got her work done on her own and she didn't want to burden her team with things that were really _her_ tasks. "Okay," she muttered.

"Don't look so down, Sarada. Eat, so I can get you home and in bed."

That didn't come out right at all. Boruto's face turned hot and he desperately hoped that she didn't pick up on the way that sounded—or what it made him think about anyway.

Her cheeks turned pink, but she didn't comment on what he said. Sarada picked up her fork and started eating. Her pace was slow but eventually picked up. She was hungry and ate her fair share of the food they ordered.

It pleased Boruto to see her eating properly, but he couldn't help but feel concerned for her. He was her boss, not her boyfriend so there was only so much he could do, but anything he could do, he would. They ate more than they spoke, but he didn't mind. Boruto was happy just having her across from him, eating her fill and knowing that once he drove her home, she would be able to sleep.

Dinner ended too soon, but it was for the best. Sarada's health was number one on his list of priorities right now, even if it shouldn't have been any concern on his. Once the bill was placed on the table, Boruto reached for it, blue eyes flicking up to Sarada's face when their hands laid over it at the same time.

"I'll just check the bill, you know if they got it all right." Sarada slid the bill towards herself, eyes never leaving his.

Boruto smiled, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. He slid it back closer to him. "No worries, I can check it out myself."

"But you don't know which was mine," she pouted, sliding the bill back to her. "I just want to make sure."

"Sarada," Boruto spoke her name chidingly. "I've got it. I'm sure they didn't make any mistakes anyway."

"What do you mean _you got it_?" She scoffed. "I'm paying for what I ordered." Sarada let go of the bill, only to use that hand to dig into her purse for her wallet.

Boruto pulled it closer to himself, grabbing his wallet out of the inside pocket of his jacket and quickly placing his card in with the check. "Didn't I offer to treat you? That means I'm paying. Don't try to fight me over something so silly."

Her brows furrowed together. "You shouldn't be paying because this is _not_ a date."

"It doesn't have to be a date for me to treat you. As your boss, I feel that you deserve it. So I'm buying and there's nothing you can do about it."

Sarada's lower lip jutted out even more. She stuck her nose up in the air and crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine."

"Aw, don't pout, Sarada. It's adorable." Boruto chuckled, handing over the bill book once the waitress returned to retrieve it.

It didn't help. She was still pouting, even well until after the waitress left. But it didn't last long because she yawned again, breaking her grumpy expression. She really was adorable, but Boruto was ready to take her home so she could rest. As soon as the waitress returned, Boruto pulled his pen out of his pocket and signed the receipt, getting to his feet as soon as he finished.

Sarada accepted his hand when he offered it to help her up and he didn't let go as they left the restaurant and walked to his car. The drive to her apartment was spent mostly in silence aside from her yawning which became more frequent each passing moment. Boruto even caught her dozing off a few times and she had drifted before they turned into the parking lot of her apartment complex.

"Sarada," He called to her, gently nudging her shoulder with his hand.

She groaned but more or less didn't open her eyes. Sarada went right back to sleep when Boruto stopped nudging her.

"Sarada…" he tried again. "If you don't get up, I'll have to carry you to bed." Not that he would mind.

Sarada groaned again, this time, shifting on the seat and forcing her eyes open. When they did, she took a moment to look around, seemingly trying to recognize her surroundings. Dark eyes landed on his blue ones and her cheeks flooded with heat. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I fell asleep." She picked up her bags and placed them on her lap before looking outside to see they were already at her apartment.

"It's okay… you're tired." Boruto smiled at her and left the car to walk around and open her door. He leaned down to grab her bag and then took her hand in his. "Come on, now."

Slowly, Sarada got to her feet, holding on tight to his hand for support. Her eyes were still a little blurry from sleep and her balance was off. "Thank you," Sarada mumbled as they walked hand in hand up to her door.

Boruto couldn't help but feel even more worried about her, but he promised himself to do whatever he could to make things easier on her. "You get straight to bed, alright?" He spoke softly to her while she struggled to get her key in the doorknob.

"I will," she replied, finally getting the key in and turning it, the lock clicked and Sarada opened the door. She turned to face him and took her bags. "Thank you for dinner, and the ride. I'll get the next one." Sarada smiled sleepily at him.

"Right. Of course." That was _never_ going to happen. Boruto was excited to know that she intended for them to have dinner together again some time—another not date, but he would be the only one paying for any of their meals. "Good night, Sarada." He smiled his best smile at her and slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

"Good night," Sarada smiled at him a little more. "Take care on your way back… text me when you get home."

"I'll make it just fine, Sarada. Go to sleep. I'll text you, but don't go waiting up for it." She was barely awake as it was.

She hummed and took a step into her door. "Just text me when you do, okay?"

"I will." He promised and waited for her to close her door, listening for the lock before he turned and made his way back to his car.

In the end, Boruto had gotten to see Sarada after all, and treat her to dinner. It was a win for him, even if he was worried about her. He'd been certain that she would pass out the instant she got inside. Boruto still texted her, just as he promised he would, but he couldn't believe it when he received an immediate text back. She was still awake, which concerned him even more, but it also made him happy to know that she cared enough to make sure he made it home okay.

Worried or not, Boruto felt more at ease now. He was happy that he'd gotten to spend some much needed time with Sarada. She wasn't his girl, but she was sweet on him. Waiting up and sending him a good night text. It had him grinning from ear to ear as he undressed for bed. Soon, things would settle down for her at work—he would see to it—and then they could have another not date, maybe even take a little more time to enjoy it. He would be happy with anything, as long as she played nice and didn't try to fight him for the bill.

She'd never win anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably happened during the times wherein Boruto wasn't giving her rides to and from work consistently. Totally not her boyfriend, and totally not in love with her, am I right? And that was SO not a date. Paying for the bill and bringing her home and her waiting up for him to know he was safe before sleeping? Yeah, totally not together, too. :)


	26. Filler 3: Hungry Princess

The sun had already set and rush hour traffic started. Some of the department areas already had their lights shut off but Sarada still sat at her desk, earphones on and typing furiously on the keyboard.

It was already eight in the evening, and she was still hard at work.

If it were up to her, she would have taken the train home an hour ago, but her cheeky boss sent her an outlook invitation a few hours ago.

_Dinner meeting, 830._

It was futile to decline, knowing he would march right out of his management meeting if she ever did so, or even messaged him to ask to leave and take the train. The last time she did that, he left a supplier meeting in midair, just to call her to convince her for ten full minutes to wait on him instead of commuting home.

He was persistent. And annoying.

And damn, she was _hungry_.

Taking a deep breath, Sarada leaned back in her chair and sighed. _Just thirty more minutes._

Sarada could hang on. Just a little more. Finishing up an email and turning her laptop off, Sarada opted to text her mom and check on her social media while waiting, frowning at her grumbling stomach.

Curse that outlook invite. She could have already been eating dinner.

"Sarada," Boruto called, announcing his presence as he made his way over to her. "Are you ready?"

She sighed. _Finally_. "Yes." Sarada stops from her desk and gathered her things, all packed up and ready to go. "What did you want to discuss?" She asked as she fell in step with him.

"Just a few things." He smiled and took her bag to carry it for her. "We can go wherever you like."

"For dinner?" Sarada asked. Even mentioning the word got her stomach grumbling and she wished that he hadn't heard it. "Really?" A buffet sounded good.

"Of course, any place is fine. You want it, I'll make it happen." Boruto winked at her as he ushered her towards the elevators.

She grinned at that. "I think I want sushi. Like, maki rolls." _And steak. And rice. And chicken teriyaki._ Damn, she was hungry.

Once the elevator arrived, the two of them stepped in and Boruto's smile brightened. "I know just the place."

"Is it near?" She asked all too quickly and stopped herself.

"Yeah, ten-minute drive as long as traffic isn't too bad. Is that okay?"

Sarada pouted at that but thought traffic wouldn't be so bad this late. "I guess that's fine," she mumbled.

Boruto poked her cheek and laughed lightly at her. "What's wrong, Princess? You don't look too happy."

"I'm hungry," Sarada muttered. The last time she ate was at lunch, and she knew Boruto wasn't half as hungry as she was because management meetings _always_ had food and drinks.

"Shit, sorry." He frowned as the elevator came to a stop and he took her hand to pull her along. "At least the place is quick, I'll get you fed soon. Okay?"

Sarada nodded and squeezed his hand. "Okay."

Boruto walked her to his car, opening the passenger door for her to get in before handing her bag over and then hurrying around to get behind the wheel. "I know it's late. I feel really bad so you make sure you order whatever you want. You'll feel a lot better after you eat."

Sarada practically bounced in her seat at the thought of food, dark eyes widening with little sparkles appearing. "Anything I want?" She already knew she would order half the menu.

" _Anything."_ He nodded as he pulled out of the parking lot. Luckily, traffic already seemed light.

Normally, Sarada would start up a conversation or ask about how his meeting went, or better yet—ask what the meeting invitation for tonight was about. But all Sarada could think of was sushi and what kind of tea they would probably have. "I hope they have black tea," she sighed wistfully.

"They do. The green tea is also nice." Boruto said as he slowed to make a turn. "Their house sake is _really_ good."

"Do they have tiramisu?" Sarada asked, mind already at dessert and she hasn't even eaten anything yet.

Boruto reached for her hand, nodding his head. "Yes, they have a very nice menu. Lots of options. I'll probably only have some sushi and maybe some soup."

That only excited her more. "Are we there yet?" Sarada couldn't wait to eat.

"Just a few more minutes, Princess." He said, speeding up a little.

Sarada willed herself to sit still. "Okay."

The drive was only eight minutes long and as soon as he cut the engine, Boruto hurried out of the car and around to help her out. She accepted his hand and they walked towards the entrance together. The late hour and weeknight were two factors that had the restaurant not overcrowded and as soon as they were inside, they were led to a booth.

Boruto sat across from her, already ordered a glass of water and hot sake for himself. He then ordered black tea for Sarada and asked for two onion soups. When the waiter left them, Boruto smiled at Sarada and pointed to the sushi menu.

"I highly recommend the dragon roll. It's one of my favorites."

"That looks good…" Sarada muttered, and then her gaze drifted to another. "So does this," she pointed to one and then her finger slid to another. "And this."

Boruto hummed, face lit up in amusement. "Yes, it's all good. Order it all if you want."

"I can?" She gasped. Everything looked so good and she wanted to try all of it. But she stopped herself, remembering that this was supposed to be a meeting and the company was going to pay for their dinner. "Are you sure? We have to talk about something, right?"

"You can and if you don't, I'll order all kinds of things for you. We will talk over our meal, regardless of how much food we have." He reached over to give her hand a reassuring pat just as the water returned, carrying a tray with their drinks and soups. "Are you ready to order now?"

"Yes!" Sarada turned to the waiter and proceeded to point at no less than five items on the menu. "And which would you recommend, this or this?"

"They're both good." The waiter grinned.

Sarada looked at Boruto, hoping he would decide for her.

"We will take both," Boruto said plainly. "Anything else caught your eye?"

She shook her head. "I'll look at dessert later."

"Right." Boruto smiled and then ordered himself a single roll. Once the waiter left, they both had a sip of their soup. "They have some of the best sushi I've ever had here. The hibachi is good too, I just know I couldn't handle it tonight."

Sarada would have replied to him, but she was too busy drinking her soup down. It was hot but good and it warmed her tummy right up. "Why not?"

"I'm not that hungry." He explained. "By the time I finish my sake and sushi, I'll be ready for bed. You may have to tuck me in tonight."

She hummed and took a sip of tea. "Was it a tiring meeting? It's been a long day."

"It was okay, just long." Boruto poured a bit of his sake into the shot glass provided for it and drank it, humming approvingly. "Shit, that's good. And hey… you didn't say no."

"No to what?" Sarada asked, tipping her head to the side.

Blinking at her, Boruto set his shot glass down and went back to his soup. "Nothing."

Her lower lip jutted out, and then she glanced at the counter, checking to see if their food was ready to be served.

"It won't take long," Boruto promised while sliding his soup over to her. He'd barely touched it.

Sarada looked down on his soup but leaned back on the couch, a little frown forming on her lips. "Okay."

"Have the soup, okay?" He sighed, feeling extremely guilty. "I'm really sorry for being so late. I should have just had dinner delivered to the office for us… but I thought it would be nice to get out."

"No, no. It's okay!" Sarada waved her hands in front of her. "I don't want to get full with just the soup."

Boruto frowned and pulled the soup back away from her and then pushed it aside. He just couldn't do anything right. "Alright." He mumbled and went back to his sake.

"Don't drink too much," Sarada said. "You're driving."

"I'm only having this one." He pouted. "Just enough to enjoy it."

"Alright," she whispered and sunk back down on the couch, feeling a little bad that she might have offended Boruto. It's not like she was calling him out or anything, neither did she blame him for taking long she was just… hungry.

The waiter came by with a large tray and started placing down plate after plate after _plate_ of food. There were rolls, sushi, chicken, rice, and salad. Sarada plucked a pair of chopsticks and took a piece of sushi the moment it landed on the table. The other plates weren't even on the table yet but she popped the entire piece in her mouth right away.

"Thank you," she half mumbled to the waiter, already picking up a roll from across the table to put in her mouth again.

Boruto picked up his own chopsticks as he watched her, blinking slowly in amazement. She was being really adorable. "Is it good?" He asked as he picked up a piece of his sushi roll and raised it to his mouth, chewing it without haste.

Sarada swallowed and blinked at Boruto. Once. Twice. He only _nibbled_ on his roll, barely making a dent—not even one-third of the roll—and here she was, taking the entire thing in her mouth in one go, her cheeks puffing with rice and fish as she chewed.

_So much for being ladylike!_

A snicker escaped her lips and she struggled to fight the laughing fit she felt bubbling in her chest. It wasn't long until she was laughing, covering her mouth with her hands.

 _Well, at least he knows I can put a lot in my mouth,_ she thought. _But Boruto already knew_ that.

Swallowing the current bite, Boruto looked her over curiously. "What's so funny?"

Sarada only laughed a little more and tried to wave him off. It was so hard for her to contain herself when she felt so silly and embarrassed for not holding herself down because she was far too hungry to care. "N-nothing," she laughed quietly.

"Are you judging me right now?" He asked, cheeks puffing out.

"What? No!" Sarada threw her head back and laughed freely, still feeling silly. And now Boruto thought she was judging _him_ when she was actually judging herself. "It's just—I ate the roll all in one go and here you are, taking such small bites!"

"Oh, so you were just judging yourself." He laughed too. "It's okay, I think it's cute."

Her cheeks reddened and a satisfied smile grew on her face. Sarada took some chicken and ate it all in one go too, stopping mid-bite to realize that she had done it _again_. Her face turned into a lovely shade of rose as she chewed and refused to look at Boruto.

Boruto was all smiles as he went for his next roll, this time putting the whole thing in his mouth. "I can do it too, ya know." He told her, every word muffled considering his mouth was full.

Sarada was taken aback by his sudden bite, but she ended up laughing. He looked so cute with his cheeks full of rice and fish as he struggled to chew it all down. Another round of giggles filled her up and she felt so much better. "So cute," she said between giggles.

After swallowing the food and then having a few sips of his water, Boruto huffed, "You're the only cute one here."

"That is arguable," Sarada smirked. She picked up a roll with her chopsticks and held it up to his face. "Try this one."

Though he looked at her skeptically, Boruto could only accept the bite since Sarada was feeding him herself. He was never one to pass up such a golden opportunity. It was quite the mouthful though, making him struggle a bit as he chewed.

Sarada's face split into a wide grin, loving how cute he looked with his cheeks puffed and full. Admit it or not, she also found the way he struggled to finish it cute. A little squeal escaped her lips. Sarada bit her lower lip and then picked up another roll, for herself this time.

Once his mouth was empty again, Boruto poured himself another shot of sake and sighed. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle much more."

"But there's still so much," Sarada gave him her best puppy dog eyes. "We haven't even gotten dessert yet."

"You take your time and eat as much as you like, Princess. Dessert too." He smiled at her and then drank his sake.

"But… I don't want to eat alone." It wasn't half as fun eating by herself, even if Boruto was sitting right across her. "You barely ate!"

Boruto chuckled. "Relax, I'll have more… I'll just be taking my time. Tell me, Sarada, how was your day?"

Sarada took some chicken and had a bite, talking in between her chewing. "I barely noticed the time. But I still have a lot to finish."

"Anything you can't eat right away, you can take home for later. I need to finish the sake while it's still hot."

Her cheek puffed up, and it wasn't because of the food. "Fine." If Boruto didn't want to eat, then so be it. But as for her, she still had some room. They talked a little more, Sarada getting sushi almost right after she finished the one in her mouth. Next thing she knew, she finished nearly all of them. "Oh my god. I can't believe I ate all that."

"I'm also impressed." Boruto laughed. "Don't forget about dessert."

Although the thought excited her, she was sure she couldn't have another bite. "I don't think I can."

"What?" His laughter ceased, brows furrowing. "But you were so excited about dessert. Will you at least take some home?"

"Okay," Sarada nodded. "The strawberry mochi looked good."

"It is! That's my number one choice." Boruto told her excitedly.

"Then let's get some to take away." Sarada raised her hand to call the waiter, asking for their food to be wrapped and have some mochi to bring home. "Shall I get the bill?"

"Did that really just come out of your mouth?" Boruto scoffed, already pulling his wallet out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

Sarada raised a brow. "I meant… nevermind." She was going to use her company card. But it made more sense if Boruto used his card. It would take less time to have it approved.

"Well, this wasn't a date or anything, but I wanted to treat you. I'm glad we could have dinner together." He placed a card in the book with the check, but it wasn't his company card.

She nodded and thanked him, before snapping to attention. "Oh my god, I forgot. What did you want to discuss with me?" This was supposed to be a dinner _meeting_. It was sent via an _outlook_ invitation!

"Oh, don't worry about it tonight. It's late, we can just talk it over during breakfast. We'll pick up something good on the way to work."

Sarada pouted at Boruto but chose not to argue. It was almost ten in the evening, and she was starting to feel so sleepy. "Alright. A breakfast meeting, then?"

"What—were you hoping for a date?" Boruto smirked.

She scoffed. A date? _As if_. Sarada crossed her arms across her chest and walked out of the restaurant. "That's why I said _meeting_!"

"Good, good." Boruto nodded to himself, walking alongside her. "I'll be by to wake you up early."

Even if Sarada hated waking up early, knowing Boruto would be the first person she sees made her feel happy. "Alright then."

It's _not_ a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little part of this fic was inspired by Kairi's real-life experience. So much for being lady-like. lol!
> 
> On the next filler, which will be posted later this week, I will be announcing something so make sure to watch out for that! Again, thank you for all the support you've been showing us. We really appreciate it.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kairi and Tyy


	27. Filler 4: Snakes in the Dorm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This filler is different from the others, as it focuses more on Boruto, Mitsuki and Shikadai's friendship during their university days.

Boruto was in the middle of studying for an upcoming final. He had a week before the exam, but he always liked to be prepared and he prided himself in having excellent grades, so putting forth his best effort was a must. His roommate, Mitsuki, was another story entirely and had tried to convince Boruto to go out with him for a milkshake. He wasn't happy with Boruto refusing, but after a few words, he left and Boruto was able to study in peace.

At least until his phone rang.

He ignored it. It wouldn't do for him to get distracted when he was in the middle of reading over his studies. Truthfully, Boruto could ace his exams without studying, but he preferred to keep himself productive and at least be able to say he worked for his excellent scores. It was hard to concentrate though when his phone rang again.

And again.

_And again._

"What the hell?" He scoffed, glaring over at his phone that was on his bed, currently charging.

Before he could get up, someone started knocking on his door frantically. The urgency finally hit him and realizing something must have been terribly wrong, he got up quickly and hurried to the door.

"Shikadai?" Boruto frowned at his wide-eyed friend when he opened the door to find him there, looking a bit frazzled. "The hell is going on, was that you calling?"

He was pushed inside the dorm, with his friend hastily closing the door behind him. "Shit, Boruto. Where's Mitsuki? I-I think—his snakes are on the loose!"

" _What?!"_ Boruto gasped, taken aback. "Mitsuki… he went out. He's not here! No way his snakes got out." Even though he said it with absolute certainty, he turned around and peeked at the large aquarium where the snakes normally were when Mitsuki was gone.

It was empty.

"Holy shit," Boruto whispered, laying a hand over his chest as he took slow steps to his bed and sat down. "They're gone…"

"No shit!" Shikadai ground his teeth together and willed himself to calm down. "I was in the lounge when someone started screaming that there was a snake slithering on one of the couches. No one even tried to catch it."

Of course they didn't. "Mitsuki is the only one who would ever want to touch those nasty things." Boruto gagged. "But… he might get in trouble. Maybe we should call him…"

"Can you reach him, though?" Shikadai rubbed his forehead anxiously. "I tried calling him, but he didn't respond." He sat down on the bed and let out an exasperated sigh. "I thought he left them at home over the break. How does he even sneak those into campus?"

"That's why I'm saying he will get in trouble! Mitsuki can't live without his damn snakes." Boruto groaned, running his hand through his hair while the other grabbed his phone. Mitsuki's phone was going straight to voicemail. "I'll kill him."

"Not if the snakes kill you first," Shikadai muttered. "I'm not touching those things, alright?"

"Shikadai, don't be that way. You can't leave this to me alone… I'm allergic." Boruto pouted at his friend, already feeling sick just thinking about having to handle one of those snakes.

Shikadai scowled at him. "I don't care if you're allergic, I'm not touching it. Get a bag or something."

"You will pick them up with the bag?" Boruto asked hopefully and got up, sliding his phone in his pocket while going to peek under Mitsuki's bed, searching for a bag they could use.

"Hell no," Shikadai snorted. "He's your best friend and roommate."

"Shikadaaaiiiii!" Boruto whined. "That's not fair, I can't go in alone. I hate them even more than you… but, for Mitsuki…"

" _Exactly_ ," Shikadai stood up and placed his hands on his hips. "It's for Mitsuki. Which is why you and I are going to go out there, _find_ those snakes, and _you_ will pick them up and put them in this bag before anyone can see us, okay?"

Boruto scowled but headed to the door in defeat. "I hate you both." He was never going to forgive Mitsuki for this—or Shikadai. "You said in the lounge?" He asked as the two of them left the room and began hurrying down the hallway.

"That was like twenty minutes ago," Shikada placed his hands in his pockets, a victorious smirk on his face. "I don't know where they are now, but it shouldn't be too hard to find them. Just follow the sound of screaming people."

And sure enough, in the distance, Boruto could hear people screaming. He was dreading the whole situation, but he knew how much those snakes meant to Mitsuki and he knew how much trouble Mitsuki could get in for having them at all—and of he got caught, they would get taken from campus, leaving Mitsuki too depressed for Boruto to handle. That thought had his walk turning into a sprint.

There were people running away from the lounge, screaming about a snake. Boruto's relief wasn't short-lived when they walked in and he spotted one just curled up on the couch as if taking a nap there. Only one. No others in sight.

"Oh no… they're separated!" He cried, tiptoeing over to the couch and staring at the white snake in horror. "It's all your fault!" He accused his friend. "If only you would have gathered them before. Now we have to search everywhere! What if none of them are together?!"

"My— _MY_ FAULT?!" Shikadai shouted in a whisper. "How is any of this my fault? You were in the dorm the whole day! How can you not notice them slipping out?" The two argued a little more, and Shikadai was brought back to reality when another shrill scream came from the hallway. "Okay, okay, shit. Shut up, let me think." He sighed and closed his eyes. "How many of them are there?"

"Five." Boruto croaked, standing before the couch and shifting his feet, trying to prepare himself to grab the snake. He opened the bag with trembling hands and in one quick move, threw it down over the snake. He tried to slide and scoop, but the snake wasn't going in properly.

He may have screamed when he had to shove it in with his foot. "Fuck, fuck, _fuck."_ He was going to have a heart attack.

"Don't be a baby," Shikadai commented but cowered behind a chair. "Close the damn zipper already!"

" _ME?!"_ Boruto screeched. "You stupid bastard, you're not helping at all!" Boruto looked at the bag, zipping it up roughly. "NOW HOW THE HELL WILL I GET THE OTHERS IN HERE?!"

"Get another bag or something, shit, I don't know!" Shikadai flinched when the bag in Boruto's hand moved. "Where the fuck is Mitsuki?! He's the only one who can touch these things."

Boruto pulled his phone out of his pocket, barely able to unlock it from how badly he was shaking. Before he could try and call Mitsuki again, another scream was heard in the hallway. "Damn it!" He hissed, returning his phone to his pocket and carrying the bag with him, keeping it out at arm's length. He dropped it the instant he stepped into the hallway and spotted a black snake slithering towards him. Boruto screamed like a scared little girl and jumped on Shikadai's back.

"Get off me!" Shikadai tried to shove Boruto off, but in the process stumbled on his own feet and fell over. The two boys crashed on their backs and went stiff when they felt a cold serpentine shape slither between their bodies, touching their legs and hips. "FUCKING HELL!" Shikadai rolled over to the side, pushing the snake over to Boruto. "OPEN THE BAG AND GET IT IN!"

"AHHHHH!" Boruto screamed again, flinging the snake off of him and back onto Shikadai, hurriedly scurrying as far away as he could until his hand came in contact with another one. "Oh sh-fuck!" He screamed again, even louder, near choking the snake out with a death grip around its neck.

Boruto never moved so fast in his life, hurrying to the bag. "Open it, idiot! Hurry! HURRY!" He was in a panic, jumping up and down.

Swallowing his fear, Shikadai held the bag and shook it around until he could see the weight at the bottom, knowing the other snake wasn't anywhere near the zipper. He held it away from his body and towards Boruto, opening the zipper halfway.

Boruto shoved the snake inside and even though his heart was pounding and he was afraid, he snatched up the other snake and put it in as well, knocking Shikadai out of the way so he could get it zipped up. Then he collapsed on the floor, sprawling out on his back and panting for breath.

There was no time to rest before shrill screams echoed through campus—all girls both of them noted easily. Boruto got to his feet, groaned dejectedly. "Two more… only two more…"

"They better both be in the same place because I do _not_ want to touch these things _ever_ again," Shikadai scowled, carrying the bag away from his body, the snakes inside swaying from side to side.

The two of them ran down the hall, following the screams. They stopped in their tracks when two girls wrapped in towels ran right through them, seemingly not caring that their towels were doing so little to keep their modesty.

Shikadai and Boruto's eyes greedily followed the girls down the hall, their bodies even twisting around to get a longer look, before turning around to face the door wherein more shrill and girly screams came from. And _that's_ when they saw the room's name on the door.

GIRLS' SHOWER ROOM

The two of them stood straight, auras instantly darkening, shadows casting over their eyes and their lips pressing into fine lines.

" _Bro_ …" Shikadai started, voice serious.

"Yeah, bro… we got this." Boruto breathed, finally finding a content level of calm. No snake was going to best him—not when there were naked girls around.

With one big breath in, the two of them put a hand on the door and stepped in, feeling as brave as ever and determined to save all the lovely girls from the big scary snake.

There were girls running around, bodies a blur amidst the steam that hung heavy in the air. It was chaos, and everyone was pointing everywhere to where the snake might be. Some of the girls didn't even care to look their way, while others gave them dirty looks.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" One of the girls pointed an accusatory finger at the pair. "This is the _girls'_ shower room!"

Boruto held up has hands and smiled reassuringly at the girls. "Now, ladies… just calm down. We heard your screams and came to help." He explained calmly, having yet to look for the snake. To prove his point, he swept his gaze around, looking at everything except for the serpent "Do you know where it is?"

Some of the girls seemed to calm down at this, and there was one girl screaming at the corner that she found it, holding fast on the shower curtain to hide her naked body. "Th-there!" She pointed.

Shikadai calmly walked over, hands in his pockets and a slight smirk on his face. Probably his best attempt to look cool in front of the girls, but in truth, his hands were shaking and he desperately wanted to hide them.

"L-let me see," Shikadai stepped into the shower, barely keeping his calm facade on as he was face to face with a red snake. It wasn't as large as the black one earlier, but this definitely looked more dangerous. It was slithering its tongue out.

With a shaky hand, Shikadai picked up a small towel from the shower floor and threw it on the snake's head before picking it up by the neck and nearly gagging. It was wet, and slippery, but thank god the towel was between his hand and the snake. He walked over quickly to Boruto, who held the bag open for him to dump it in, throwing the towel aside and keeping his back to the girls, only letting Boruto see how green his face was.

Once the bag was zipped up securely, Boruto stood straight with a big grin on his face. "See, it's all taken care of." He said, winking at the girls who were all huddled together.

Some of the girls relaxed and sighed, happy to have the situation dealt with. Other girls even went far enough to approach them, giving both Boruto and Shikadai light touches and words of adoration and thanks. It was all short-lived, as the girl who accused them earlier pushed all of them out of the locker room.

Boruto was grinning from ear to ear, his earlier nerves forgotten and he sighed wistfully. "Well, that wasn't bad at all." He snickered, giving Shikadai a smug look. "You were all badass in there, going for it. I expected you to hold the bag open."

"Shut up," Shikadai averted his gaze. "We will _never_ speak of this again."

There was no more screaming, but there was still one more snake missing. The bag was heavy now and he didn't know if they'd even be able to fit another snake in there, so he decided to take the ones they already collected back to his room.

While they walked and talked about the shower room and the girls, Boruto tried calling Mitsuki again, but his phone was still going straight to voicemail. It really irked the blond, but there was nothing he could do. Not until he got his eyes on Mitsuki again. Luckily for him, just as they rounded the corner and stepped into the hallway his room was on, they found Mitsuki standing outside of the room.

He was sipping a milkshake, a small white snake wrapped around his arm as if nothing was wrong.

" _Mitsuki!"_ Boruto hissed, stomping over to him and holding up the bag that had grown very awkward to carry. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Hello, Boruto, Shikadai," Mitsuki smiled, momentarily putting his drink down and responded calmly. "I was out getting a milkshake. You would have known if you joined me."

"I had to _study!"_ Boruto growled. "And you cut your phone off! I couldn't get through to you! Your damn snakes were all over the place! HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?!"

Shikadai pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. Even he was displeased.

Mitsuki hummed. "Perhaps they cared enough to go out with me and get some exercise instead of staying in the dorm all day." He then grinned and dipped to sip his milkshake, the little snake on his arm sticking its tongue out at Mitsuki. "Isn't that right?" He asked the snake before it slithered into his sleeve.

Boruto's left eye twitched, because he was definitely picking up what Mitsuki was putting down. "Are you… telling me… that you… fucking… let these damn snakes just… loose… just to GET BACK AT ME?!" Boruto's right hand clenched into a fist that he raised at the guy who was supposed to be his best friend. "Do you have… any idea what I went through?!"

Mitsuki fished the dorm keys out of his pocket and slipped it in the door knob and opened it. Before he entered, he smiled at Boruto. "Then perhaps next time you'll choose to join me when I crave for a milkshake, hmm?" He then entered the room, and the white snake dropped to the floor, slithering around inside.

"Shit Boruto," Shikadai muttered. "We could have avoided the whole thing…" His voice rose and his hands were balled into fists. "IF YOU WENT OUT FOR A MILKSHAKE?!"

Boruto groaned and rushed at Mitsuki, shoving the snake infested bag at him before whirling around to glare at Shikadai. "I didn't want to!" If he didn't want to go out, he shouldn't have to. "Besides, if I had gone… you would have never got that eyeful."

Shikadai froze and choked. "Sh-shut up!" His cheeks burned.

Mitsuki sat on the chair and swiveled from side to side, still sipping his milkshake. "Eyeful?" He tipped his head to the side innocently and waited for their explanation.

"I'm not talking to you, bastard!" Boruto snapped. "Ugh, I'm disgusting. I need a shower now. To hell with studying." Boruto was never going to get over this and now knew that Mitsuki was willing to be petty as hell if he didn't get his way and Shikadai was no help unless boobs were involved.

This was _never_ going to happen again!

_(and that is the story of how those mother fucking snakes got out in the mother fucking dorm.)_


	28. Filler 5: Snakes, A Slut, and a Softie

It happened again.

Those slimy slithering creepy snakes of Mitsuki's were on the loose and who had to deal with them?

Boruto.

What was worse?

Those snakes weren't just loose in the dorm, they were specifically spread out in a way that made Boruto know Mitsuki wanted nothing more than to torment him to hell and back.

The first phone call he got was from Ichika, a petite and pretty brunette Boruto had enjoyed a night with a few months prior. It was only a one-time thing. That's how Boruto preferred it. The last thing he needed was anyone getting attached to him. He didn't even care to look at the girl again in fear of giving her the wrong idea, but she was calling him—and Mitsuki wasn't answering his phone.

" _Boruto,"_ Ichika whimpered one a way that was surprisingly adorable as soon as he answered. _"Please help me. Th-there's a snake. It's your friends—I know it is!"_

"Fuck." Boruto groaned. It has only been a month since the last incident and it was never supposed to happen again.

He hadn't even done anything to piss Mitsuki off…

Had he?

"Where is it?" He asked as he stormed from the common room on his way to his and Mitsuki's room.

" _I'm my room."_ She whined and Boruto sighed as he unlocked his room and walked inside. _"I'm so scared. It went under my bed and I'm here… I'm too afraid to get down but I'm also w-worried it will get up here somehow."_

"Just calm down," Boruto spoke to her softly though his left eye was twitching at finding Mitsuki, _not_ in the room and the aquarium empty. They were _all_ gone. "I'm on my way to you, okay?"

" _D-Dont hang up! Please…"_

Boruto rolled his eyes, but he was also amused. If he was scared, he didn't like it. But on Ichika, it was cute.

He didn't hang up. Boruto stayed on the phone with her all the way to her dorm room, only hanging up after she told him to come into her room.

Ichika was on her bed, in nothing but a towel, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked even better than she sounded, but Boruto would _not_ be swayed. He did have a stronger will than most.

"Under the bed you say?" Boruto asked as he crossed the small room to stand by her bed, duffel bag in hand.

She nodded quickly. "Y-yes. I haven't seen it come out or anything."

Boruto hummed in understanding as he knelt on the floor by her bed and turned his phone's flashlight on before peeking under it. Sure enough, that slimy fucker was under there just wrapped up as if it was napping away while he was forced to come into a girl-he-couldn't-fuck's room. _While she was naked except for a towel._

Great.

Fucking great.

After opening the bag, Boruto snatched the snake over into it and zipped it up, keeping his expression blank even if his heart was pounding. No way was he showing his fear in front of such a cute girl, even if he wasn't going to fuck her again.

"Got him." He sat back on his haunches after zipping you the duffel back, turning his head towards Ichika and offering her a small, sincere smile.

"My hero!" She dove off the bed, towel flying away as she tackled him in a hug.

 _Oh._ "Ah, Ichika… your towel." Boruto laughed nervously, holding his hands up and willing them not to return her embrace.

This was a very _trying_ situation.

"I just want you to hold me." She whispered, hugging him even tighter around his neck—her plump breasts pressing against him, hardened nipples easy to feel through the thin cotton of his T-shirt.

_Boruto would not be swayed._

While he was busy trying to think of a way out of her room without losing that will of his he was so proud of, his phone rang again.

He was saved.

"Sorry I need to take that, it's probably Mitsuki."

Though Ichika pouted, she kissed Boruto on his cheek and reluctantly let him go. He was all smiles as he told her goodbye, totally not checking her naked body out as he backed up to the door and then walked out.

He didn't know if he should be pissed off at Mitsuki or worshipping at his feet.

The next caller though was yet another one of those one-night stands. However, this one, in particular, was quite… frightening.

Sexy, but scary as fuck.

Hayami was this fiery redhead that everybody liked to look at. What one could consider a popular mean girl. She was a spoiled brat who _always_ got what she wanted and Boruto hated it. If he wasn't drunk that night, he would have never fucked her.

Boruto just couldn't believe there was a snake in her room too. Mitsuki wouldn't possibly come at him like _that._

But yes. That's exactly what it was.

" _Boruto! You better get over here right now! Ugh! I swear that creepy friend of yours is going to get it!"_

Shit. Boruto hated Mitsuki's snakes more than anyone, but he knew how precious they were to his friend—enough to make him tolerate all the shit they put him through. Including the fear.

"Now just settle down, babe. Tell me what happened." He was already heading over, but he knew with her, he had to proceed with caution.

Hayami giggled as if pleased with his tone, calming down quickly. _"I'm sorry but like, there's this disgusting snake in my room. I'm really upset, Boruto. But not with you… never with you. It's all Mitsuki's fault."_

Of course, it was Mitsuki's fault. It always was. "I know, babe. Don't worry. I'll be to you in like two minutes. I'll take care of it, okay?"

" _Thank you. You're the best. Guess I'll owe you for this."_

There wasn't enough sexy in the world. "Oh, don't worry about it." He didn't need her trying to pay him back for _anything._

Not that it wouldn't be good… just… she was fucking crazy. Boruto didn't need any crazy in his life. Especially some girl.

When Boruto knocked on her door, she answered it dressed in a short, black silk robe. Hayami's thick red curls hung loosely all the way to her ass and she had big, bright green eyes. Freckles dusted her nose and cheeks, giving her face a very _cute_ look, but the way she held her body was otherworldly. Like a pure seductress. She leaned her right shoulder on the doorframe, jutting her left hip out and licked her red lips while looking at him like a starved animal.

Boruto was fearing for his life.

And his dick.

It was bad to be frightened and turned on both at the same time.

"The snake?" He croaked, ears burning. Boruto cleared his throat and stood his ground.

_He would not be swayed._

_Fucking Mitsuki!_

"Boruto~ that night bad snake just went right under my desk." She poked out her lips that were a little too inviting for the situation. "I knew you would come to rescue me."

"Right. Yeah… of course." He smiled awkwardly and pushed past her to walk inside.

This time he was really going to kick Mitsuki's ass.

The snake wasn't under the desk.

Hayami made Boruto check three different times and every time he was kneeling under there, she was touching him. All over. So suggestive and naughty—she was fucking insane.

"Maybe he went behind my bookshelf there." Hayami shrugged, hips swaying provocatively even though the rest of her wasn't moving. She was totally stripping him with those big green eyes and it was unnerving. "Get over there and move that shelf. I wouldn't mind seeing those muscles at work."

Boruto would have preferred being anywhere else in the world.

Though he doubted very seriously that the snake had gone behind the shelf, Boruto moved it anyway, just enough to get a look and be sure. Even if it was a pain in the ass, he had no choice but to collect them all.

His phone was ringing, but he ignored it and found the snake wasn't behind the shelf, just as he expected.

"Mm. You'd look a lot better doing that if you were naked."

"Yeah, no thanks," Boruto muttered, refusing to do as much as glance in her direction.

"Aw, don't be a meanie. Though you are pretty hot when you're grumpy."

_Crazy._

"Hayami, stop it. I have to get this snake." Boruto groaned, feeling irritated from dealing with her, the snakes and everything else.

His phone wouldn't stop ringing.

"So?! We can still play. I miss you… I haven't even seen you since we had sex."

It was intentional and Boruto wasn't happy to be seeing her now. "I've been busy." He shrugged and started checking everywhere the snake could possibly be.

Ignoring Hayami's whining and rambling, Boruto searched until he finally found the snake in a heap of clothes on the corner of her floor. Relief fell over him so much that he couldn't even be scared. Boruto just grabbed the snake, tucked it into the bag and got ready to leave.

"Let's fuck."

Boruto choked on his next breath and looked at her with wide eyes. Thank god his phone started ringing again because she was already loosening her belt, ready to strip and let him have his way with her again.

But he would not be swayed.

"Can't gotta go phone ringing see ya." Boruto rushes the words and his steps, desperate to get away from her. She was absolutely sinful, and Boruto was a sinner who wanted to tap into that again.

Wouldn't be swayed though.

No matter how tempting, he would remain strong in his beliefs.

Rei and Yumi were the two blowing up his phone while he was dealing with Hayami and the snake in her room which was amazingly tame in comparison. Both of them were girls he'd slept with more recently, like in the last two weeks. It was really bad to have to talk to them so soon and Boruto really wanted to get out of it, but every after calling Mitsuki three more times, but all he got was voicemail.

"Bastard." Boruto scoffed before finally relenting and taking that next caller—Rei.

She was an athletic girl with long, strawberry-blonde hair who always kept her tips dyed pink. Boruto liked the pink, though he wasn't one for dye, it actually suited her. It had only been a week ago that he watched her pretty blue eyes rolling back in her head—way too recently for his liking and he had no idea how the hell she got his number.

" _Bo-ru-to U-zu-ma-ki,"_ the way his name was enunciated with each syllable sounded scarier than looking at the snakes… or touching them.

Maybe even scarier than Hayami.

"R-Rei? Uh… this is Rei, right?" Boruto stood impassively the hallway, holding the duffel with one hand and his phone up to his ear with the other.

" _Right?_ " She repeated. A laugh with no humor came from the other side of the phone and Boruto could swear he felt his knees shaking. This chick was hot but he never knew she could be so scary. "I think I have something of yours… or your roommate's, rather. He's the one with the snakes, right?"

"Just making sure." Boruto laughed nervously. "You have something of Mitsuki's? Maybe… maybe you should call him."

She hummed. "Maybe _he_ saved my number, too." Yikes. This girl wasn't playing. _"Just get here already, I found one of his snakes in my hamper. I wouldn't be caught dead by a prof bringing a snake around."_

Boruto pouted at having time be the one to do everything and especially when it involved these girls. "Fine, I'm on my way. What's your room number?"

Boruto knew nothing about Rei aside from the fact that she was on the volleyball team and she was hot. She was a good lay too, but it wouldn't happen a second time.

A loud sigh came from Rei and she suddenly sounded so bored. "Three-two-seven. I forgot we fucked in _your_ room. Hmph." She ended the call without another word.

That other number kept calling, but Boruto slid his phone into his pocket and went on his way to Rei's room. It was at the other end of the hallway, but he arrived in only a few moments. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, Boruto knocked lightly on her door and waited.

After a few seconds, the door opened. Rei was in nothing but a thin crop top and her volleyball shorts. Her long hair flowing down her shoulders in loose curls. She did not look amused, and neither did the snake in her free hand. It was the biggest one that Mitsuki kept, and she held it by the neck like a professional, no trace of fear in her pretty blue eyes as she looked at him from head to toe and then back up again. " _Boruto_."

Fuck, she was hot. Boruto almost wanted to forget his will entirely. He could definitely go for another round. "Rei. You look…" he couldn't help but take it in all over again. She was so fit, had a body that would turn any man's head and Boruto could remember so easily how great it was to have her. "Hot." He finally finished, mouth-watering a bit as his eyes gradually made their way back up her figure.

Rei smiled. "I know." And then shoved the snake at his chest with a little _too_ much force. The door slammed in his face before he could say anything else.

"Damn… she's got it. Definitely got it."

Boruto grinned to himself, getting lost for a moment until he realized he was cradling the snake to his chest and he screeched, fumbling with the bag to get it open. Once the snake was safely inside and _he_ was safe, Boruto breathed into relief and finally decided to answer the caller that just kept calling.

"Hello?" He smiled, still feeling a little giddy at seeing Rei get so feisty with him. He would have to take the time to go to her next game.

" _Hello, Boruto?"_ The voice was feminine, but professional. There was only one woman who ever took that tone with Boruto.

And it wasn't his mother.

"M-Miss Yumi?" No way in hell he was that lucky… or unlucky.

" _Hello, Boruto._ " She repeated, this time a little _friendlier_. "It seems that there's a… _situation_ in my office."

 _In her office?_ "Situation?" Boruto asked, throat feeling a little dry. No way it was one of Mitsuki's snakes… if he had to fuck his way out of this… well, he wouldn't be completely opposed to it.

She hummed. It was weird… she didn't sound scared if it was one of his snakes. "There's a snake here in my plant pot… It doesn't seem hostile, though. I recall you mentioned your roommate had them, right?"

When did he ever vomit those words? "My roommate? N-no way. You have a snake situation though? Don't worry, Miss Yumi. I'll come to take care of it."

He could hear her cheeky smile. "I have no doubt you will." She ended the call.

Boruto sighed as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and started sprinting away from the girls' dorms. Yumi's office was on the first floor of the university's main building, much further away. That damn snake was definitely planted there, there was no other explanation.

When he arrived, he entered as casually as he could, knowing he looked suspicious carrying the squirming duffel bag. Boruto knocked twice before letting himself in with a smile. Yumi was one of the substitute math professors who mainly worked as a tutor to struggling students. Boruto may have taken a few lessons—even though he was exceptional at math and one thing led to another… The next thing he knew, he had her in his bed.

And he fucked her _twice_.

It was different with Yumi though. She was older, five years older. Mature. Sophisticated. Sexy. As. Hell. Fuck, she was gorgeous. Boruto would even fuck her again. Gladly.

If Boruto had a type, Yumi was it. She carried herself like a lady, _knew_ just how smart she was. Her shoulder-length black hair was silky, always parted perfectly, far on the side. She had alluring grey eyes that would turn so dark when she was feeling particularly heated—always dressed to impress in those damn pencil skirts Boruto loved so much. And those glasses, he loved watching her take them off and hold them to her lips.

Yeah, he could go again. Now would be good.

Those damn snakes though.

"Miss Yumi," He greeted her as he always did, smiling his best smile on his way over to her desk. She was sitting now, but he knew she would grace him momentarily.

She smiled sweetly at him and stood from her chair, hand skimming her desk as she walked around it. "I haven't seen you in a while, Boruto."

"Mmhmm." He nodded slowly, blue eyes raking over every inch of perfection that she was. "Guess you've been busy." Really, he just hadn't reached back out to her. It had only been two weeks… but he was having regrets now.

Not that he couldn't make up for the lost time.

"I'm always here if you need a lesson," she replied. Her eyes flicked over to the pot at the corner of her office before she took him in again. "You have my number and schedule for consultation, don't you?"

Shit. He did. He should have already called. "Maybe we uh… should set something up. I could always use a few pointers." They were both checking each other out and Boruto wouldn't be surprised if he ended up fucking her on her desk before he left.

Yumi dusted his shirt off for him and patted his chest. "Wouldn't want your grades slipping again, hmm?" Although her smile was friendly, her eyes were suggesting other things.

And Boruto wanted other things.

Placing the duffel down on the floor, Boruto wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her to him, loving her body pressed up against his. She smelled so good, sweet and citrusy. He was already itching to strip her. "Or maybe this time, I can give you the lesson."

"I could always learn something new from my students." She smirked and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, lips inching towards his and whispered, "Teach me."

Boruto's dick sprung to life and he didn't waste a second in getting her on her desk. He wouldn't kiss her, even when she tried. Not on her lips anyway—but he would kiss her everywhere else. He started with her neck, hastily but easily opening each of the buttons on her white blouse to reveal the lace bra underneath. She was already breathing heavier and had a tight grip on his hair.

But then his phone rang.

"Goddamnit," Boruto growled. There was still one more snake. But he hadn't even collected this one yet.

And he really needed to fuck this raven.

That was how he was feeling until he picked up on the fact that the ringtone sounding from his phone was different.

It was Nyoko.

"I'm sorry, Miss Yumi." Boruto frowned, the heat he's been feeling gone instantaneously. He pulled away from her without thinking twice about it and dug his phone out of his pocket while walking over to the plant where the snake was. "Nyoko?" He answered calmly. They hadn't spoken all day, so he wasn't surprised to receive a call from her.

"Boruto!" She breathed. "Are you with Mitsuki? He isn't answering his phone."

 _Not her too!_ "I'm not. I can't get in touch with him either. What's up?" Boruto was sure this had something to do with girls he'd been fucking by now, but Nyoko wasn't tied in with _those._ She was one of his best friends… a girl he really and truly cared about. One he wished he could be with. _Really_ be with. But it wouldn't ever happen.

"Oh," he heard the bed shift under her weight. "Draco's here… I don't know how he got out but he might have followed me out or stowed away when I left your dorm earlier."

 _Draco._ Boruto smiled, feeling light and warm as he grabbed the snake out of the plant. "I didn't see you today, doll. You went and saw Mitsuki while I wasn't there?" He was totally not going to pout about it. He had to be out of it, he was just casually petting the snake on his way over to the duffel bag on the floor—forgetting all about the sexy and disheveled raven on that desk.

"I thought you might be there," she giggled. "I waited a bit but I didn't want to bother Mitsuki. He said he hasn't been sleeping well. Where are you? Will you come over?"

"Oh, I'm on my way," Boruto said, still having that goofy grin on his face and still petting the snake even though he'd already reached the bag. "See you know like five minutes. Okay?"

"Okay, I can't wait." She ended the call.

With a quiet sigh, Boruto returned his phone to his pocket and then realized he was making friends with a _snake_ and he gasped, quickly getting it in the bag before he calmed down again. Once he stood straight with the bag in hand, he finally looked back to Yumi who was giving him a smug look, still on her desk, still sexy, just not as appealing as she was before that phone call.

"Uh, sorry Miss Yumi… I'll take a rain check on that lesson."

Her eyes widened and a pout settled on her pretty pink lips. "Disappointing, Boruto." She clicked her tongue, but let him leave her office without making a fuss.

Eventually, he would have her again. But Nyoko came first.

When Boruto made it to her room, he let himself in and smiled at finding her sitting cross-legged on her bed in one of his university hoodies that she stole and thick joggers. 'Draco' was curled around her dainty hands, her thumb brushing back and forth over his head. There was that perfectly pure smile on her face as she peeked over at him without turning her head, her long black hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, those magenta eyes shining bright as if she couldn't have been happier to see him.

Nyoko wasn't showing any skin, her face was bare and she was nothing but innocent, yet Boruto wanted her more than any other girl he'd seen today. Or ever. But he wanted her in a way that chilled him to his bones, so she was off-limits. She was too precious. There was no way he could ever confess his feelings to her. He wouldn't be able to handle losing her—couldn't take her rejecting him. So they were just friends and he was okay with that.

"Sorry, it took me so long. Mitsuki's apparently pissed at me about something… I've been hunting his snakes for the last hour." Boruto walked over and sat next to her on her bed, setting the duffel next to them.

Why had Mitsuki lumped her in with the others? It didn't make sense.

"Mitsuki? Pissed at _you_?" She mockingly gasped, but her lips were curled in a teasing smile. "I wonder why he could _ever_ be pissed at you." Nyoko giggled and rested her hand with Draco down on her lap. She sighed and leaned on him. For a few moments, they stayed like that in silence until she sniffed his shirt and pulled back, wrinkling her nose at him. "You smell like a million different perfumes, Boruto."

Boruto blanched, going pale at knowing she was probably right. "No, I don't." He huffed, wishing he had thought this through, he could have showered first!

Nyoko snickered and stifled a laugh. "You don't have to hide these things from me, you know?" The little white snake slithered on to her pillow, curling up and seemingly watching the two. "Did you find Mituski's snakes in the girls' shower room again?" This time, she didn't hold back, falling on to her side and laughing without a care in the world.

She was so cute Boruto couldn't handle it. He laughed too and laid back on her bed on his side, facing her. "Actually, they were scattered in different girls' rooms. Don't ask me how he managed that shit."

As soon as she calmed down, Nyoko faced him and softened. "Are you still surprised Mitsuki could do something like that? He can do anything he puts his mind to."

It would have been nice to be brave enough to reach out and take her hand, but he wasn't. He wouldn't. Boruto always let her do as she pleased while he kept his hands to himself. "I guess I can't really put it past him. But I don't know _why._ So it's bugging me." He shrugged and propped his head up with his hand. "He's wrong for torturing me though. Don't you agree?"

Magenta eyes roamed around his entire face as she fell quiet, but that small smile was still on her face. "Think about it, Boruto. Who did he send the snakes to, and why did I leave your dorm instead of waiting for you? How does it connect?"

"I thought it was connected… but… it's not. How do you know everything anyway?" Boruto pouted and reached over to flick her nose playfully. "Those girls I may have messed around with, but not you. So what am I missing?"

"I just do." The light in her eyes dimmed by the smallest bit as she averted her gaze. Nyoko rolled on to her back and stared at the ceiling. "That, though… I'm not sure." Her voice was so small and she closed her eyes. "Did you let Mitsuki into the room that one time I fell asleep watching Ninflix with you last week, though?"

Of course, he didn't. Boruto didn't want to share. "Maybe not." He grumbled and then scoffed when realization dawned on him. "He's pissed about me having girls over… fucking bastard."

Her shoulders shook and her hand came up to cover her mouth. "Anyone who gets thrown out of their own dorm would be mad, Boruto." She stuck her tongue out at him and reached out to let Draco slither on her arm again. "Hate to say it, but I'm with Mitsuki on this one."

"Whaaaat?" Boruto whined, sulking at her. "Not you too, doll. You have to support me. Even if nobody else does."

"Just because I agree with Mitsuki doesn't mean I'll leave you hanging." Now that Draco was wrapped around her arm, she brought him close to Boruto's face. "Besides, you have to get used to his pets sooner or later."

"Nyoko!" Boruto wheezed, falling onto his back and pushing her arm away. "You know how much I hate those things!"

Her giggles turned into laughter and it filled the whole dorm. She sat up and wiped a tear away from her eye. "I don't hate you, though." Her eyes reflected nothing but fondness and sincerity for Boruto.

He knew she didn't. In fact, Boruto knew that she was a little crazy about him too. He tried to pretend otherwise for a long time, but he _knew._ Even having the awareness didn't help him any. It only made him be more careful with her. He couldn't have her, no matter how much he wished he could.

"You better not." He said teasingly, sitting up and leaning over to pinch her cheek. "I may need to move in with you… Mitsuki might take me out in my sleep."

"No," she denied him and pushed his cheek away with her free hand. "If he strangles you in your sleep, that's because you kicked him out with nowhere left to go."

"If he strangles me, I won't be around to let you steal my hoodies. And are those my socks?!"

Her gaze flicked to her feet, and she looked at the socks with the little burger print on it. Nyoko pulled her feet under her, hiding it from him. "No…" She grinned. "They're mine, now."

"Little thief," Boruto smirked, reaching behind her to find and tickle her feet.

Mitsuki may have done all these to get back at him, but Boruto couldn't even be mad when it ended with him being with Nyoko, getting to make her laugh and stare at that perfect smile of hers. He really hoped that somehow, he would overcome all his own issues, the insecurity was just too much for him. Boruto just wanted to do right by her.

They talked and played around for a long time until they settled down and got tired, Nyoko clinging to Boruto as she drifted off and him falling asleep not long after.

Mitsuki let himself in, not surprised to find the pair cuddling and sleeping soundly together. He smiled to himself, proud of his work. As he grabbed the duffel bag off the floor, knowing his pets were there, Mitsuki watched the little white snake leave the bed and slither over to the edge. Mitsuki set his hand out and the snake went up his sleeve.

"You can thank me later, Boruto," Mitsuki whispered and then left the two to their nap.

His pets always did come in handy.

Boruto didn't wake up until hours later. Nyoko was still sleeping deeply, but it was getting late and her roommate would freak if she caught him sleeping with Nyoko, so Boruto said his goodbye to her, even though he didn't wake her up. He just smiled and brushed her bangs out of her face, thumb caressing her cheek tenderly before he forced himself to go.

He was still feeling light and warm as he made his way back to his own dorm—snakes completely forgotten. It was time for him to crawl into his own bed. But the door was locked.

And his key was gone.

There was also a note on the door, from his petty roommate.

' _Have fun sleeping outside.'_

Boruto's fists clenched and a scowl set on his face before he yelled, "Mitsuki!" he even started banging on the door, but Mitsuki didn't care. He ignored him, leaving Boruto out in the hallway for the entire night.

He really needed to start seeing girls in their rooms instead of his.

Getting kicked out really did suck.


	29. Filler 6: Love, Loss, and Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time, Sarada takes center stage. Grab some tissues.

"Saradaaaa!"

She grimaced and put her pencil down, trying not to snap at her roommate. The girl wrapped her arms around her neck from behind and whined some more.

"Pleaaaase! I have no one to go with."

"Kagura and Buntan said they would go with you," Sarada sighed. "I have to study."

"The test isn't until next week!" Sumire rubbed her cheek on Sarada's and bat her pretty big eyes at her. "Pretty please?"

Her cheeks burned but she remained strong. "No. I have to study and ace this. I _have_ to ace it."

There were more than several reasons as to why Sarada had basically thrown herself into her studies when she got to Kirigakure University. It ranged from defending her pride all the way up to resenting that she didn't pass her university of choice. The latter being her biggest reason for resenting where she was at now. Even if both of her parents were alumni and her grades had always been good, for some unknown reason, she wasn't good enough to pass Konoha University.

Her parents never put any pressure on her, neither did they get upset. But she was. Sarada was upset with herself and she wanted to do so well in Kiri U that no one would ever question her intellect. Not even herself.

"You go have fun."

"Come on!" Sumire shook her around. "It's not going to be fun without you. Besides, we can find someone for you there."

"I don't need a distraction."

"Think of it as…" Sumire smirked and whispered close to her ear, " _Inspiration_."

Chills ran down Sarada's body and tried to push her roommate away but failed, her hands drifting down to her breasts suggestively. Her face burned. "S-Stop that!"

"Only if you go with me." Sumire sang.

.

.

.

The party wasn't what Sarada expected, it was actually pretty chill. It took place in Kagura's fraternity house, and there were only a few people invited. It looked like he was playing host, busy talking to everyone and entertaining his guests. Buntan, as expected, just stayed out on the porch all evening, smoking and drinking beer with her sorority sister, Hebiichigo.

What Sarada didn't expect was Sumire ditching her to makeout with the girl they just met, leaving Sarada sitting on the couch, wanting nothing more than to leave.

"Sarada-chan," Kagura approached her with a wide smile. "What's wrong, not having fun?"

"No," Sarada sighed and put her drink down. "Sumire ditched me."

"Oh…" Kagura looked around and held his hand up. "Wait right here. I have people to introduce to you."

"Uhhh… that's okay. You don't need to—"

Too late. He was gone.

Kagura came back with a guy who looked around her age, she's never seen him around before. But what really caught her eye was how handsome he looked. Messy brown hair and deep blue eyes.

"Sarada-chan, this is Hōki. He's one of our freshmen." Kagura introduced him. "Don't worry, he won't bite." Just then, he looked at Hōki and gave him a pointed stare.

Hōki stared at Kagura for a moment longer before looking at Sarada, giving her a quick once over. Then his expression softened and he took her hand in his. "Hello. Sarada-chan, huh? Wow, you're gorgeous."

Her cheeks reddened and she took his hand for a shake. "Just call me Sarada." She laughed nervously and then gave Kagura a pointed stare. Her upperclassman liked to tease her a lot, but Hōki seemed sincere enough.

"Oh, alright then, Sarada. I'm pleased to meet you." He smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze. "You seem like you're much better company than Kagura. Wanna get a drink with me?"

Kagura wasn't bad company at all, but when he was being a tease, she couldn't agree more. "Sure, I was just finished with mine." For the life of her, she didn't know why she agreed. Usually, she wouldn't have more than two bottles of beer but as Hōki led her to the table, there was nothing but hard drinks. "What's your poison?"

"Tequila. Yours?"

She bit her lower lip. That was her poison of choice, too. "I'll have what you're having."

"Ooh. Beautiful and tasteful. I might just fall in love with you. Better watch out, Sarada." Hōki teased her as he started mixing their drinks.

She blushed again but steeled herself not to get too carried away with his sweet words. This guy knew how to flirt, she'd give him that. Matched with his good looks, she could be the one falling in love if she didn't watch herself. "I could say the same thing about you."

Hōki hummed as he handed her a drink and then had a swallow of his own. "Cheers to new friends," he said, moving to stand closer to her. "And maybe even more."

"Cheers," Sarada lightly bumped her cup on his and took a large gulp. She would need this for the night, she just knew it.

Conversations, laughs and a bunch of shots later, Sarada found herself backed up against the wall in his room, their lips locked and her nails clawing at his back. It was probably the alcohol that made them reach this point, but she couldn't deny the chemistry she felt with him. With each touch and kiss, Sarada felt herself losing more and more of herself to him, surrendering to the sinful sensations he was giving her.

He was a stranger, but as he stripped off their clothes, and the more skin she saw, the more she thought she knew him.

.

.

.

"I'm sad to see you go," Sarada hugged Kagura tightly, the tassel from his cap tickling her nose.

He hugged her just as hard, but gave her a warm smile. "We'll see each other again, Sarada-chan. But as colleagues." He winked.

She giggled and gave him a sincere smile. "Good luck out there."

"I would wish you luck, too, but I don't think you need it." Kagura laughed. "Besides," he turned to face the guy she was with. "I know Hōki will take good care of you. I mean—you _better_."

"You don't need to worry about that." Hōki smirked, pulling Sarada into his side with his arm around her waist. "I'm head over heels for this girl. Right babe?"

Sarada leaned into Hōki and grinned at him before replying, "I'll be fine, Kagura. As long as I have Hōki."

Their upperclassman softened. "Right. Of course. I'm happy you have each other."

Everything would be fine as long as she had Hōki by her side.

.

.

.

Under a bunch of blankets, Sarada curled up a little more, hands groping around. When she couldn't find him, she cracked an eye open and found the other side of the bed empty. She groaned and fumbled around for her glasses, noticing her dorm was empty, making her frown. It wasn't like him to leave without waking her but before she could throw a fit, she opened her phone and found a text from him, smiling when she read it.

_Sorry I had to leave, babe. I got class. I'll fetch you after the second period for lunch. Love you._

Of course he had a good reason to leave her. Her class didn't start until another hour, and it would be unreasonable for her to ask him to cut it because she wanted to cuddle more. Writing a quick text, Sarada rolled out of bed and picked out something to wear for the day, wanting to look extra cute for him since they were meeting for lunch.

She had been so excited to see him that she could barely concentrate in class, but forced herself to. Sumire was right. Hōki wasn't a distraction—he was an inspiration. Sure, he wasn't the best in class, but he was playing for their university's football team, and he was the _best_. Naturally, as his girl, she had to be the best, too.

Just before the period ended, her phone vibrated. She knew who it was, and her excitement peaked that the name on the screen confirmed it was Hōki. She opened the text, he was probably already waiting for her.

_Babe, the boys wanted to go out for lunch. I'm so sorry. I'll come by your dorm and I'll bring you your fave chicken and waffles._

Her face fell, the lecture completely blocked out. This lunch was what she was looking forward to, but he cancelled… Sarada snapped out of it, quickly replying it was alright, that she had to study for a quiz anyway.

_Chicken and waffles sounds great. I'll be waiting for you. I love you._

Later that evening, he did arrive at her dorm and Sumire took that as her cue to leave. Sarada had already asked her ahead of time, and she was so grateful that Sumire's girlfriend had her own room. "Maybe next semester I should just move in with her," she joked.

"If you can convince babe to live with me, I would forever be in your debt," Hōki teased. "I did get you something though." He pulled out a box from the plastic bag and Sumire took it before leaving.

"You're so nice to her," Sarada chuckled as she opened the box, mouth watering at the sight of her favorite comfort food.

"Don't be jealous now," he teased. "Got eyes only for you, babe." Hōki settled on the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist and burying his nose on her neck. "God you smell so good." He kissed her neck lightly, moving along her throat before moving up to the side, and nibbling her earlobe.

"H-Hōki," Sarada's hands stroked his chest before sliding upward to grip at his hair. A gasp escaped her lips when he licked her ear.

"Fuck the food, I want you for dinner."

Sarada smirked. "Come and get it."

.

.

.

It was cold out, but Sarada braved it, wrapped up in a thick coat and scarf. Hōki had a game today and she promised she would be here to watch and support him. Even if that meant freezing half to death because she was weak against the cold, bringing her text books to study during half time, or missing out a hangout with her friends. For her boyfriend, she would be here and support him and work around her needs.

It had been over a year of them being together, and Hōki always made Sarada happy. This was just something small she would do for him. She watched the entire game, fully engrossed and not even minding her books just so she could keep her eyes on him the entire time.

When he won the game, he came running towards her, lifted her up and kissed her hard.

Sarada was so happy. Everything was perfect.

.

.

.

Once Sarada's majors hit, she had gotten so much busier. Her commitments with her other student organizations and the university government were also piling high, leaving her little time for herself or for sleep. Thank god the weekend was coming, Sarada looked forward to staying in and having some rest on top of finishing her school requirements.

But it looked like Hōki had other plans. He wanted to bring her on a trip with the guys on the team, everyone was bringing their girls and he wanted to bring her, too. Despite wanting to rest and telling him so, even inviting him to stay with her instead, Hōki insisted she come with him. And when Sarada declined, encouraging him to go if he wanted to, they fought.

"You're my girl Sarada, everybody else will have theirs and you expect me to just go alone?" He scoffed, looking at her with disappointment and frustration.

Her jaw slacked. Never had she seen him this upset with her before. "But… I'm _tired_ ," she whined. "What's the problem if you go without me? They can have their girls but it's a team thing, isn't it?" He has his thing, and she had hers. "I don't make you to come to my university events."

"But I _would._ I want to go with you. Because I love you. Don't you love me?" He frowned, looking at her as if she was breaking his heart.

Sarada felt like he had struck her. How could he even doubt that when she let go of some of her duties in her other organizations just to spend time with him. "I do…" she whispered, still feeling stunned. "I love you so much."

Her own heart was breaking just seeing him hurt. If this trip was that important to him, then she would sacrifice her rest time to be with him. Sarada stepped closer, slightly hesitating and her lower lip trembling. "Why would you ever doubt that?"

"Well because. It's not like I'm asking you to do anything besides be with me. So you're basically saying you don't want to be with me. Is that how it is?"

"That—no it's not, I just—I'm lacking sleep and I wanted to rest. I said you can come stay in with me but like—" she wrapped her arms around his middle, afraid he would slip away from her at any moment. Sarada looked up at him, through her tear stained lashes. "I want to be with you. I always do…" she sobbed. "Don't be mad at me, please… I'll go."

Hōki smiled then, looking relieved at her decision. He kissed her forehead and then whispered, "That's my girl."

Everything was going to be okay.

.

.

.

Come her third year, Sarada let go one of her organizations, knowing full well that she needed more time to focus on her thesis and the student government. Her previous year of struggling to juggle everything and lack of time to spend with her boyfriend made her realize that she couldn't do everything and she had to prioritize the things that were important to her.

And that was Hōki and her studies.

The pressure to do well and graduate with honors ringed louder in her ears, the need for her to get into a good company, even if it was just an internship, loomed over her. Her pride wouldn't accept anything less.

"I'm so stressed," she whined and leaned on his shoulder. "But I can't stop now."

"It's okay babe, you're doing so well. I'm proud of you." Hōki reassured her with sweet kisses to her cheek and long, soothing strokes to her back. "Just gotta keep pushing."

She sighed and melted into his touch. They may have had some rough patches but he was always so supportive of her and believed in her, even when she didn't.

.

.

.

"Sarada? Why are you alone in here?" Sumire walked into the room and dropped her duffel bag on the floor, walking over to her. "I thought you said you were sick!"

She groaned but kept her eyes shut. "Sumire,"

She croaked. Her throat was killing her and her head felt like it weighed a ton. A hand came up to her forehead.

"You're burning up!" Sumire gasped and grabbed a small towel and her water jug, dampening it up with ice cold water before placing it on Sarada's forehead. "What the hell? Where's Hōki?"

"He has… a game…" It was such a struggle to talk. "He can't come here. He'll get sick and he… won't be able to… play."

Her pretty face contorted in anger and Sumire yelled, "Fuck that!"

Sarada's eyes flew open. Her roommate never cussed like that. It was shocking, but not more than her rage.

"He's supposed to be here to take care of you, it doesn't matter if he has a game or not, you're supposed to come first." Sumire was going off, rummaging around their belongings and looking for medicine. "I don't care if his cat died, has a game or a test, you're still alive and he should be doing everything he can to make sure you get better."

She shut her eyes. Sumire didn't get it. Hōki had a scholarship to keep up. If he didn't keep winning, he won't be able to stay. And besides, it wasn't like she was dying. It was just a fever. But before she could defend her boyfriend, Sumire started again.

"And don't go using his scholarship on me. I've seen him ditch you for parties and free food, Sarada. You shouldn't be letting him do this to you."

Her lips parted, offended and upset that Sumire would say that about Hōki. "If he didn't have a game, he would be here."

Sumire knelt beside her and squeezed her hand. "Sarada, game or no game, if he really cared about you, he would be here right now, instead of me going off. You don't deserve this."

"You're right," Sarada pulled her hand away from Sumire's. "I don't deserve your sermon. You don't get it. Hōki loves me. Him being here or not isn't what determines that. Stop talking like you know what it's like when you just hop from one person to the next!"

Her roommate looked like she was just shocked with an electric current. Sumire covered her mouth, eyes growing wide.

Even without her glasses on, Sarada knew she crossed the line, and tears were falling down Sumire's cheeks. "S-Sumire, wait. I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."

"No…" Sumire got up on her feet and put a pack of pills and a glass of water on the floor by her bed. "You're right. What would a bed hopping slut like me know, right?"

"I-I didn't say that!" Sarada sat up, head spinning from the movement. "Sumire, please. I just meant—"

"No, no. I got it." She held her hands up in mock surrender. "I won't interfere again between you and Hōki." Sumire picked up her bag from the floor and looked back. "I thought you were the one person who would never judge me, Sarada."

"I'm—I'm not!" Sarada tried to explain, that wasn't what she meant. Why did she even say that? Sumire just wanted to protect her, but she was also upset that she was talking Hōki down. "Wait!"

The door shut close, and she felt her heart twist at the sound of the lock. Sarada took in a deep breath before her tears fell and she cried herself to sleep.

.

.

.

On the day of her graduation, Sarada thought that she would be at her happiest. She graduated honors, and even signed a contract with one of the biggest Fast Moving Consumer Group of companies in her home state. Both of her parents and even her uncles were here to see her march and hear her name be called with Latin honors.

But she wasn't as happy, knowing Hōki still had a year to go before he could graduate. He was here, at her ceremony, sitting and chatting with her uncles. She bit her lip, wondering what they were talking about. She couldn't tell, they were too far away.

Sarada ran to them the moment she could, jumping into Hōki's arms, holding on to her diploma. Her father patted her head, and her mother gave her a hug when Hōki released her. All of them had dinner somewhere special, and after dessert, Hōki pulled her away, telling her something that she had always wanted to hear.

"I love you, babe. After I graduate, I'm gonna marry you."

Dark eyes went wide, her heart soaring with adoration. "R-really?"

"Of course. You think I'd let anyone else have you?" He grinned, rubbing her cheek affectionately. "I can't wait to make you mine forever."

Sarada squealed and hugged him tightly, not believing her lucky stars. To be married to her college sweetheart felt like a dream. Almost like what her mama and papa had. She may not have gotten a diploma from Konoha U, but she did find her forever in Kiri U and that was more than enough for her. "I can't wait," she whispered. "I love you so much."

.

.

.

Starting her new job was so much fun. She had been an intern in the same company, and was familiar with a lot of people. The best part was, Sumire and Kagura were working here, too.

Sumire was stationed at their factory, far from the head office. But the position Sarada snagged in marketing had a lot of interaction with Sumire and she was glad. Things weren't always as good for them, but she was thankful that they were able to patch up and clear the misunderstanding between them.

Kagura actually recommended Sarada for the position, sending her CV to HR and they were so impressed with her internship work that they absorbed her into a permanent role. It was relatively closer to her parent's house, and Sarada was back to living with them until she could save up enough to get her own place.

The only downside was that… it was cities away from Hōki, and Sarada didn't drive but even if she did, it would take her more than six hours to get to him. If she took the train to him, it would be nearly three hours. A lot faster, but way more expensive.

Her internship days were hard enough, having to resort to a long distance relationship. It caused her great heartache, and a lot of time and money just to spend a day or weekend with him, on top of her work. He only ever visited her once, not even sparing the full day for her because he met up with other friends that night and had to catch the early bus back to campus to make it on time for his training.

It was tough but Sarada understood. He had his scholarship to take care of, and he needed his rest. Besides, what was one year of waiting? Once he graduated, they were going to get married. Move in together. Have beautiful babies and live happily ever after. Perhaps it wouldn't be perfect—nothing ever was—but it was perfect for Sarada. She loved Hōki with all her heart, and wanted nothing more than to be with him and him only. There was no one else for her. No one would treat her better or love her more than he did.

Long distance relationships came with a lot of hardships. From lack of face to face communication, physical touch, and nonverbal cues. To make up for things, like not texting him back instantly because she was in a meeting—he hated having to wait for her replies—she would send him her schedule for the day in advance, and it worked for a while. Until Sarada would get dragged into impromptu meetings and she wouldn't be able to reply to his calls.

They kept arguing about the smallest things. Like Hōki being too tired to talk to her at night when she finished work, and Sarada not having time to come visit him on weekends because she had marketing activations and events to take care of. It added more to her stress, but despite every shouting match and after crying herself to sleep, they would always make up and promise not to fight and try better next time.

Trying again was more important to Sarada, knowing that Hōki loved her and that she loved Hōki was enough to make her believe that things would work out. Her newfound financial freedom also allowed her to spoil him, buying him gifts and things she couldn't afford when she was still a student.

For his birthday, she was able to save up for those cleats he wanted, take him out to a fancy dinner, and even surprise him with a new set of clothes before he had to go back to campus. It felt amazing being able to give him what Sarada thought Hōki deserved, even feeling guilty that she couldn't afford something better for him.

Since Hōki was a student, Sarada knew she had to keep her expectations the same as she did back in university. He wasn't earning yet, so she couldn't expect big fancy bouquets like what her colleagues got, or fancy dinners and jewelry—like what her other friends got who had boyfriends who were already working.

For her birthday, he had a game and wasn't able to come. But he did have a small bouquet sent to her office, his old varsity jacket and a handwritten letter, promising her he would come to her the following weekend to celebrate properly, and reminding her that he only had a few more months to go until his graduation, and they could finally be together again.

The sincerity made her cry. Even a modest bouquet like this already took a chunk out of his allowance, and she knew that. Sarada didn't want fancy things, she only wanted Hōki. And surely, it wouldn't be long until their suffering of being kept apart would end.

.

.

.

"I… I don't understand." Sarada's hand trembled as she kept her phone pressed up to her ear. "I mean, that's great! Hōki, I'm happy you got a job offer but… in Suna? That's even farther than Kiri…"

"I know babe. But it's a great offer. You won't even need to work. You can just quit and move to me." Hōki sounded as cheerful as ever.

"Quit?" Sarada repeated. She loved her job, and as much as she loved Hōki, she didn't want to compromise her career. Sarada tried to laugh it off. "What do you mean I won't need to work? You know how much of a workaholic I am." She just couldn't see herself stopping anytime soon.

"It's not necessary though. I'll be making enough money to support us both and you want to marry me right? So you just move here. You can do normal things, like cleaning and cooking. It will be better that way."

Her mouth moved, but no sounds were coming out of them. "I—umm. C-cooking and cleaning?" That was no problem for her, she did that around the house all the time, even when she finally had enough to move out, she was doing all of it on her own but… Sarada just couldn't see herself doing just that. "I can—I can do that even if I'm working, Hōki." She chuckled nervously. "And of course I want to marry you. I've been waiting for this. But I just didn't think it would happen so soon."

"So soon?" Hōki scoffed. "We've been planning this for a year. I'm just saying you don't need to worry about work when I can support you. You can be home for me everyday. That would be better… but it sounds like you don't want to marry me anymore."

"That's—that's not what I meant at all!" Sarada panicked. Things were already shaky between them and a misunderstanding like this wasn't going to help at all. "I just… I have a lot of projects going on with Ichiraku right now and I need at least thirty days to finish and turn things over. I can't just leave tomorrow."

Hōki hummed. "Well maybe you should figure out what's more important to you. Me or that stupid job of yours." Then he hung up on her.

Sarada gasped for air, rubbing at her eyes, wanting her tears to stop but it wouldn't stop flowing. It wasn't fair. She wanted to be with Hōki but just when she had a good thing going for her, she had to give it up. The hours ticked by and she kept on crying until she had no more tears to give, her throat was raw from screaming, torso aching from hyperventilating.

"I love Hōki," she whispered to herself. Everyone knew this—especially Hōki. "Hōki loves me."

He was her constant for years, his arms and kisses the only thing she could sought for comfort. Always comforting her and being there for her. They had sacrificed so much to stay together and to end it this way would be a waste.

No. Sarada wasn't going to give up on them and Hōki was definitely more important to her than her job. So what if she had to resign? Sunagakure's a big city. Finding new work there, given her experience, would be a breeze. And if that didn't work, Hōki would support them, just like he said he would.

Licking her chapped lips, Sarada carefully pushed herself off of her kitchen floor. The vegetables she chopped for her dinner long forgotten on the board. Feeling severely dehydrated, she drank two glasses of water and crawled into bed, setting her alarm for work the following the day.

Tomorrow, she would send in her resignation letter and call up her landlord that she would have to end her contract early. It would cost her, but it would all be worth it if she could just be with Hōki.

.

.

.

Even with her glasses, she couldn't hide how puffy her eyes and face were. Sarada swallowed hard, knowing that people in the office were going to ask her what happened. She looked like shit, and part of her wished she wouldn't bump into the president because if she did, Naruto wouldn't stop until he told her what was bothering her.

Sarada came to work early, at seven in the morning. There was barely anyone around, and she skipped breakfast, even her coffee. She sat at her desk, tears streaming down her cheeks yet again.

Her gaze roamed around, taking in her pencil holder, calendar, the post-its that stuck all around, reminding her about all of her tasks—reminding her all of the things she was going to be giving up just to be with Hōki. His photo with her hung by her calendar, with his handwriting on the bottom of the Polaroid.

" _I love you, babe._ "

Sarada sharply inhaled and felt her hand shake as it hovered over her keyboard, typing up a letter of resignation. One that she didn't want to write, or sign, or send in. Her breath was coming in short, hiccuping and coughing to clear her throat. Even through tear blurred eyes, she would still finish this letter, submit it, and move. As soon as she could to be with the love of her life.

She finally finished her letter, reading it over for any typos or mistakes. It was proving to be such a difficult task, given that she could barely breathe or see through her puffed up eyes. Sarada took a tissue and wiped her face, trying to calm herself down. People would start coming in soon, and this letter had to be printed and signed on her director's table.

Right when she was about to print, her phone vibrated, and Hōki's name popped up. Sarada instantly picked it up, hopeful and happy that he reached out. She was planning to send him a photo of the letter, and that would settle things between them. But when she opened the message and saw what Hōki had to say, she forgot how to breathe.

' _Our conversation yesterday really put things into perspective for me. I realized that I'm not in love with you anymore. You get what you want after all, Sarada. I wish you the best.'_

No. This couldn't be happening.

After all this time and years, he was breaking up with her. Just when she was about to give up everything she worked for—for him.

Another tear didn't fall, she didn't even hiccup. Instead of replying to Hōki, she opened up another text box, and typed up a simple message.

' _Uncle Itachi, please come pick me up at my office.'_

One that got her an instant reply.

' _I'm on my way.'_

After years, Sarada felt like she could finally breathe. She put her phone down on the table and looked around her desk yet again, reminding her of all the things she no longer had to give up, except for one thing.

With shaky hands, she reached for the Polaroid and read it again, her thumb skimming over his face. Sarada licked her lips and tossed the photo into the trash can. If this is what she got for being so open to love and expressing it always, sacrificing everything she had to make things work, then she promised herself she wouldn't allow herself that luxury anymore.

There was no way she would allow herself the heartache again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character development.
> 
> We touched on Sarada and Boruto's previous love issues and traumas but kept Sarada's awfully vague. Since we had two fillers that featured Boruto's university life, here's the first to show Sarada's. We'll have another filler about Sarada again soon.
> 
> Cheers,  
> Kairi and Tyy


	30. Filler 7: Then and Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tyy and I wanted to explore more what happened between Boruto and Nyoko, and how she still affects him in our current timeline. We also included how Sarada reacts to it. This filler happens after the first filler, Moving Forward.
> 
> Guide for the transitions:
> 
> Three dots for a transition happening in the same period (a few hours, days, weeks, later).
> 
> A single line is to change perspective between Boruto and Sarada.
> 
> Two lines is to indicate the beginning and end of Boruto's university days with Nyoko.
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

The first week back in the office always felt slow, but happy. Happy because it was chill and the holiday cheer could still be felt. Slow because everyone was still on vacation mode and it was hard to switch back into the work groove instantaneously. The upside was that Boruto was working while she was on leave, meaning things were covered but it was also a little disconcerting since she opened her inbox to hoards of email from him.

Filtering it by subject, Sarada got to work and read all of them, opting not to reply just yet and collate her questions. Maybe she could sit down in his office and file through them one by one instead, that would surely be faster. Besides, there were more than two hundred emails, it would take her at least more than an hour to sort it all out.

Once Sarada finished, she read over her notes again and picked up a pen before heading over to Boruto's office. She didn't knock, opening it by a crack and peeking in before calling out his name. "Boruto? Can I have a minute, please?"

He was sitting at his desk as he would be any other time, but his head was downcast, buried in his hands, fingers tangled in his hair while his elbows were propped on the dark mahogany. "What is it?" He asked so quietly she almost didn't hear him.

Her lips parted, dark eyes going wide. He was different today, not like how he was texting her a few days ago. Definitely not like how he was during the play or the Secret Santa event. "Umm…" She didn't know what to do. "I just had some questions but I can come back later." Although she knew she should leave, Sarada found herself walking inside, carefully approaching him from the other side of the desk.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Sarada asked quietly.

Though it was subtle, there was a noticeable tremble to his hands and a shift in his breathing. "I'm fine." He whispered. "Now is just… not a good time. Please take my calls."

"Okay." Sarada stood there a little longer, chewing on her lower lip if she should ask more or not. Ultimately she told him before leaving, "I'm here if you need me."

Sarada closed his door softly and stood outside a little longer, feeling at a loss. It was almost like she didn't recognize him. Going back to her desk, she typed her questions for him instead and hit send. All of the emails that had her in copy, but were addressed to Boruto, she replied to if it was within her power.

It was strange. She never knew seeing him so sad could make her feel the same.

Over lunch, Sarada noticed that Boruto wasn't coming to join in. For a moment she thought to go over and call him but she caught Shikadai speaking to Naruto, and holding on to his lunch.

"Yeah, I know." Shikadai sighed. "I'll talk to Boruto."

_Talk to him about what?_

.

.

.

The time flew by for Sarada, but she still felt something was wrong. Boruto was sad about something and she was sure it had nothing to do with work. But if it was personal and affected him so much, he shouldn't have come at all. Maybe she could talk to him on their way home, try to ease him into the conversation to open up.

Inojin stretched and sighed. "I think it's time to call it a day."

Sarada looked up from her screen. "It's only five-thirty."

"Yeah but Boruto left half an hour ago and we finished this brief so we're good to go."

"What?" Sarada blinked. He already left? Boruto always came by her desk and would offer her a ride home.

Inojin raises a brow. "Yeah. Didn't he come by to tell you—you know, like he always does?" He smirked.

 _No, he didn't._ But Sarada ignored Inojin. "Just get back to work already." She wasn't sure if she was telling herself or Inojin that.

.

.

.

It was hard to sleep that night for Sarada, feeling like something wasn't right. It wasn't really like her to take things so personally, that happened to people in the office but it felt different with Boruto. The way he spoke to her, or lack thereof, really threw her off.

The following morning, Sarada passed by the bakery and purchased an assorted box of pastries for her and the team. She hoped that when she got back to the office, he would be back to normal, but if not, the pastries should help. Sarada would have baked it herself but didn't have the time. To make up for it, she bought another cup of coffee, just for Boruto.

He was already in the office, the laptop opened up and his briefcase was on the floor. But he wasn't at his desk. Sarada entered anyway, placing the cup of coffee down on his desk and arranging it with tissue underneath. Carefully, she set the box down and tried to guess which one he would take for breakfast.

Boruto walked in a few seconds later, blue eyes dull and lifeless. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and didn't even react to seeing her. There was no cheeky smile, no warm greeting. Just a fleeting glance as he walked around his desk and sat down.

The shock was evident in Sarada's face but she schooled her features as soon as he sat down. There was something _wrong_. It wasn't her place to ask or to pry. He didn't even acknowledge her.

"Good morning, Boruto." Although she wanted to smile, she couldn't manage to. There were a million things going through her mind on what might be wrong and what she could do to help. "Have you had breakfast? I brought some for the team."

He dragged his hand through his hair and let out a long sigh. "No… I haven't been feeling well. Can't eat much. I'm sorry." He spoke so quietly and still didn't look at her, though he did catch sight of the coffee on his desk and moved his arm to wrap his hand around it. "For me?"

Sarada nodded. "Yes. It goes well with cinnamon rolls," she whispered.

"Thank you, Sarada," Boruto said as he picked up one of the cinnamon rolls and left it on a napkin. "Maybe I can eat after all."

Since he accepted it, her heart felt lighter but it didn't mean she was already satisfied. "Please do." She eyed his tie, it was loose and unkempt and his eyes looked dead. Sarada bit her lower lip. "Boruto…" It was really not her place to ask but it was bothering her to see him like this.

"No." He quipped as if he knew what she wanted to say. His voice was still quiet, but broken. "Sarada, _please._ Just… I'm okay."

A wave of anger washed over her. He was blatantly lying to her when she was just concerned. Even if she was angry, Sarada didn't show it.

"If you say so." She picked up the box of pastries and left his office. Her anger didn't stay for long as it was quickly replaced with her heart tightening in her chest.

All she could think about that day was why Boruto wouldn't tell her why he was so sad.

.

.

.

Naruto sent an invitation to Sarada, Chocho, and Inojin to his office the following afternoon. Her heart was racing, wondering why he had to call the three of them into his office. Sarada hadn't seen Boruto that day, although all of his belongings were in his office. Chocho and Inojin seemed nervous as well, but for other reasons.

The president sat behind his desk, and Konohamaru was there, too.

"I'm sorry my invitation was so sudden, but I had to tell you that Boruto will be taking an extended leave from today to the following week."

It was hard to read Naruto's expression. Sarada kept quiet, letting Chocho and Inojin react and ask the question even though she wanted to know.

"Huh? Why?" Inojin raised a brow. "He didn't tell us he was going to."

Konohamaru stepped in, answering for Naruto. "It's actually a sick leave. Any work and decisions that need to be made, you can course it through Sarada."

"And if you feel you need higher approval, please direct it to me for the time being," Naruto added, looking at Sarada's eyes.

"Yes, sir. Of course." Sarada nodded obediently. "Can I know if Boruto's okay, though?"

Chocho and Inojin gave her a look. Konohamaru looked at Naruto before turning his gaze back to Sarada.

"He's fine, Sarada. My wife and daughter are taking care of him." Although Naruto smiled, Sarada didn't return it.

The three of them were dismissed. And instead of celebrating like Inojin and Chocho were that they wouldn't have their boss around for a week, Sarada felt the exact opposite.

"You two go ahead," she told them. "I have to stop by supply chain for a while."

Sarada hurriedly walked over to the department, seeking out the one person whom she knew always had the answers to everything. "Shikadai."

He looked up from his laptop, quite surprised to see her but gave her an easy smile. "Hey. Did I miss an email from you?"

"No." Sarada cut in quickly. "I need to talk to you." She looked at his other teammates. Even if they looked like they were minding their own business, she knew they were listening. "Alone."

When she took that tone, Shikadai knew he didn't have a choice. Sarada led him to Boruto's office and closed the door behind them. She didn't bother sitting down, only getting right into business when Shikadai turned to face her.

"What's happening to Boruto? He isn't okay. Don't lie to me." She hated it whenever people did.

Not looking the least bit surprised by the question, he only sighed as he looked at her. "Right now, no, he isn't. But he will be." He answered truthfully, knowingly.

"You didn't answer my question." Her lips pressed into a fine line. Shikadai was a smart guy, and he knew how to answer around questions. But she was clear, and Sarada wasn't going to back off until she was satisfied with a straight answer.

Knowing she wasn't playing around, Shikadai stiffened a bit and averted his eyes. "This is a tough time for him, Sarada. It's not really my place to say anything though."

"It isn't my place to ask either, but here we are." Sarada crossed her arms across her chest. "He just dumped all his work on me. I think I deserve to know why." Seeing how depressed Boruto looked, Sarada didn't mind filling in, but if it would scare Shikadai into talking, she would act as if she was.

Shikadai's face fell, a look of surprise forming next before finally he looked at her with narrowed eyes. "If you knew, you wouldn't mind helping him out. He's got a lot on his mind right now, Sarada. A few years ago, Boruto lost someone very precious to him. It was during this time of the year and he never takes it well."

Losing someone was a pain Sarada couldn't understand, especially because all of her loved ones were still alive and well. Her gaze fell to the floor, silently regretting making it look like work was the reason why she was asking. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "How long has it been?"

"Friday will be three years." He answered with a quiet sigh. "Don't let it bother you too much, there's not much anyone can do for him right now. He just needs time."

 _Three years._ Sarada did the math, brows furrowing. "Wait, it happened when he was still in college?" Her arms fell to her side.

_No, it couldn't be._

Shikadai crossed his arms and nodded once. "Yeah. Junior year."

She sucked in a shaky breath, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. "Oh my god. It was her…"

It was all making sense. The way Boruto's eyes darkened and looked away from her was the same when he told her about his regrets, and how he addressed her the last few days.

"Boruto told you about Nyoko?" Shikadai asked, sounding taken aback, eyes widening slightly as he stared at her.

"I-I didn't know her name," Sarada looked at Shikadai and took in his expression. From the way Boruto spoke about Nyoko, she already knew it wasn't something he told just anyone. "I don't know specifics, but he did mention her to me."

Shikadai frowned and walked over to the window, staring out of it though it didn't seem as if he was actually taking anything in. "Boruto never talks to anyone about her. Even with me… he always loses it."

Thinking back to the time they both had dinner in his office, she remembered how he almost clammed up on her, but he did keep talking. If Shikadai couldn't get Boruto to talk about it, then she wondered why Boruto would tell her. But that wasn't important right now. "He wouldn't tell me what was wrong, though. I've been trying."

"Of course he didn't. I'm sure he wouldn't want to choke on his words and break down in front of you… or anyone for that matter. As I said, he wouldn't talk to me either and I was _there_ when everything happened."

She held on to her heart, fearing it would break if she didn't. "Will he really be okay?"

Turning back around, Shikadai nodded solemnly. "He will. But right now, he needs to focus on himself—and her. Don't worry about it," he walked over and laid his hand on her shoulder. "Okay?"

Although Sarada didn't agree with Shikadai, she kept quiet. It was a personal matter and it had absolutely nothing to do with her. Asking around and calling Boruto about it was just going to make her look nosy and cause him unnecessary pain. "What usually happens until Friday?"

Shikadai gave her a sad smile and said, "He'll just be in his head for a bit. And Friday, he will go sit with her. After that, he will feel better. Don't worry, we'll have him back in no time."

Her fists clenched. "He's so stupid," she muttered.

"Yeah? I'm sure he'd agree with you on that." Shikadai laughed lightly and patted her shoulder before stepping away. "I'm sure he'll be back Monday morning, just take it easy until then."

* * *

Wintertime was filled with bitter, unrelenting cold. It was harsh, stressful and Boruto felt that way more-so than most. For him, it was the worst time of the year.

It was always tolerable until the new year hit, that was when reality set in for him and he was overwhelmed with grievous emotions, agonizing memories and a pricking, intense pain in his chest that made it hard for him to breathe.

Sleep was out of the question, even his work was slacking and he couldn't bring himself to focus on any of his tasks and what was worse, he couldn't even be bothered to care. There were other, more important things on his mind and right now, those things deserved his undivided attention.

Boruto was aware this time was approaching quickly but that awareness did him no good. He was never prepared for the onslaught of depression that washed over him on the first day of _that_ week, every single year. It always started with a dream, but that dream was the most horrific nightmare and it was all the more frightening because it was real.

That first day always began with Boruto jolting awake, gasping for air and clawing at his tight, aching chest. Covered in a cold sweat, tears spilling down his cheeks. It always took him several moments at least to finally begin calming down.

He was never truly calm though and that was only the beginning of his hellish week.

That first day, even though he literally felt as if he was on the verge of death, Boruto still forced himself to about his day. This year, that meant going to work. There were people depending on him and Boruto took his work seriously, so of course, he tried his best to keep going—to just be himself and live his life normally as he would any other time.

But it just wasn't happening for him.

The week before had already been difficult. He was a mess, forgetting important things and tuning people out when they were talking to him. It got worse by the day, but he never wanted to just give in and admit that he needed time. He was already leaving earlier in the day, sometimes even by lunch, but it wasn't enough.

Boruto desperately needed time.

This pain was brutal, consuming him wholly and making it so he could concentrate on nothing more. He'd tried to be precarious, working ahead as much as he could before things got to be too much. That time had come though and Boruto knew he had to take a step back. His dad would understand—he had to. Only a select few people would, but Naruto was one of them. After all, he'd been one of the ones helping Boruto move forward after experiencing true devastation for the first time in his life.

So, Boruto knew he had to think about his own mental health and his workload and on Wednesday he couldn't put it off any longer.

On his way to Naruto's office, Boruto just wished the hurt would go away and he could feel numb. It seemed so much more appealing, that he could handle. This though, he couldn't.

His father already looked to him apologetically, blue eyes full of pity that Boruto couldn't even be mad about. The younger Uzumaki's face was contorted in anguish, dark circles under his red-rimmed eyes. Boruto was always one to present himself professionally, but today—and for the past several days—his hair and his clothes were in disarray.

Naruto had been trying to give him his space, knowing Boruto never did well with having him comfort him. It had seemed like a more appropriate idea to have Shikadai speak with him, but that hadn't been fruitful either. Seeing him like this and knowing firsthand how much he was suffering had Naruto on his feet and crossing his office to pull his son into a tight, loving hug. That was when Boruto broke down and sobbed for the first time.

With his face buried in his father's chest and his hands fisting the shirt on his back, Boruto let himself succumb to the pain. He let it out while Naruto held him, whispering sweet words that did nothing to soothe him. For a long time, he cried and he was still an emotional wreck by the time Himawari took over for Naruto.

She was truly his strongest pillar of support, the two of them holding each other, on their knees of their father's office floor while their parents and Konohamaru spoke softly by the closed door.

Everything after that was a blur for Boruto. Until the next day when he woke up in his old bedroom. The bedroom he had grown up in. He knew what to expect, his parents and especially his sister doing whatever they could to help him get through the period of depression that would pass after that dreadful day was finally behind him. Hopefully.

That dreadful day was tomorrow and tomorrow, he would be by her side every second until it was over.

* * *

"Don't tell me you're tired right now." Boruto scoffed as he laid on his bed on his back, his left arm under his head and his pillow while Nyoko shifted closer to him. She was laying her head on his chest the next instant and his right arm curled around her small frame. "You slept nine hours last night…"

"But I am," she mumbled, nuzzling her cheek on his chest. "I just want to lie down."

"Fine but when you wake up, we're going for food. You're obviously not eating well which is causing this lack of energy and—" he let his hand wander down over her side and back up her back. "You've been losing weight recently."

"Don't touch me," she slapped his hand away playfully, hiding her smile. "I changed my diet."

"Mmhmm, I noticed." Boruto snorted. "I'm changing it back."

Nyoko gave him a pointed glare, her lower lip jutting out by the smallest bit. "I'm _not_ eating Thunder Burger."

"You _are,_ and you're gonna _love_ it." He grinned at her, bringing his right hand around her head to poke her cheek. "Maybe we will both start getting a little chunky. You'll be so soft and then you can smack me a lot more."

Nyoko hummed and rested her head back on his chest. "If I get soft the more you won't want to stop holding me."

"Exactly." He wasn't about to deny it, but he was happy to hold her now, sliding his arm back down while bringing the other from under his pillow to wrap around her as well. "Holding you is fun no matter what though." A smile tugged his lips apart and he winked at her.

"Don't say those things to me if you don't mean it," Nyoko scoffed and hid her face on his chest, pulling the blanket up to cover herself.

 _But I do mean it._ Boruto bit his lip at the dangerous turn his thoughts had taken and told himself to calm down. "Sorry… you know I love teasing you." He laughed it off, being honest at least to a certain extent. He did enjoy teasing her, but sometimes he was more serious than she knew and he hated slipping up like that.

She nodded a few times before her breathing slowed, and she fell asleep again. Boruto just shook his head, amazed at how much she was sleeping lately. He supposed he couldn't be too upset though, he wanted her to get as much rest as she needed. Later though, he was definitely taking her to Thunder Burger.

.

.

.

On the weekends, Boruto was known to attend any parties his friends were having. He didn't mind drowning himself in booze and finding a new girl to play with for the night. This was just the norm for him and he wasn't good with his norm being disrupted.

One Saturday night, it was still relatively early but he'd already had a few drinks—was just getting started on his fourth when someone he never expected to see strolled into the frat house. She was tagging along with Mitsuki and Boruto immediately felt his temper flaring. Excusing himself from the conversation he'd been ignoring anyway, he set his drink aside and then walked over to them.

After giving Mitsuki a cold look, Boruto's blue eyes dropped and softened as he looked into Nyoko's magenta gaze. "What the hell are you doing here, doll?"

She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "Mitsuki invited me. He said the guys here always make fun of him for being the only one who isn't drinking, and well, I don't drink so he has me."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me," Boruto scoffed, looking over her head and scowling at the smug look on Mitsuki's face. _Bastard._ "He's a big boy, even if he doesn't act like it." He muttered, glancing back down to her and raising his hand to rest atop her head. "This isn't a place for you, Nyoko. I'll walk you back."

"I just got here!" She exclaimed, brows furrowing. "Don't you want me here?"

Blanching, Boruto held both his hands up defensively and pouted at her. "Of course not! I mean, not that I don't want you around—just not _here._ These bastards can't be trusted around a girl as sweet as you."

"I can handle myself just fine." She crossed her arms across her chest. "And I came here with Mitsuki because _he_ invited me, unlike _someone_ else."

Mitsuki smiled a little wider. "Of course. I like Nyoko's company, anywhere it may be."

"Thank you," she smiled at Mitsuki and then stuck her tongue out at Boruto.

She wasn't normally so bratty and it was strange for her to agree to come out somewhere like this, but Boruto didn't want her thinking he didn't want her around. "It's just… I know you don't drink and this isn't your type of place at all. And what if somebody tries something…" He was already panicking because he knew he'd lose it.

"Try what?" she blinked.

Feeling his ears burn and eyes widen, Boruto blinked back at her. Of course _she_ wouldn't know. "Tries to you know… touch you or flirt with you or anything like that." It should have been obvious, but she was painfully innocent and always tried to see the good in people.

Nyoko tipped her head to the side. "But _you_ always do that to me, Boruto."

Boruto gasped, blood running cold while Mitsuki snickering behind her. "That's totally different!" He yelled, grabbing her wrist and tugging her against him to hug her tightly. "I _can,_ because I'm a special case."

Nyoko nearly completely disappeared in his arms, her tiny frame engulfed in his embrace. "B-Boruto, stop it!" She tried to push out of his hold but she had no strength.

"Damn," one of the frat boys walked by them. "Get a room, Boruto."

"Bastard," Boruto groaned, still holding tight to her. "See what I mean, we should get out of here."

"Boruto, let go!" Nyoko hit his sides as hard as she could but he didn't even feel it. She did manage to move her head to peek an eye out, though.

"Babyyyy there you aaare!" A girl with long blonde hair and hazel eyes pressed her breasts up at his arm, so close that Nyoko could smell her perfume. "I've been waiting for you, you said five minutes." She pouted and batted her long eyelashes at him.

"Back off," Boruto turned his head to face her, the mood for her or any other girl besides Nyoko long gone. "I'm busy now."

The girl scoffed and turned her nose up in the air, upset to be rejected so harshly. Boruto didn't care about hurting her feelings though, whoever she was.

"You're so mean!" Nyoko huffed, her words muffled since Boruto was still crushing her to him. "Let go of me!"

"Not a chance." He grumbled, facing his head back forward and resting his chin on top of hers. "Unless we can leave."

"But I don't want to leave," she pouted. "I want to see what happens at parties."

"I doubt you'd like it." Boruto sighed, but lifted his head and reluctantly loosened his hold on her. "We will stay for an hour, but you stay by my side. Okay?"

Magenta eyes lit up and she grinned at him, nodding excitedly. "An hour is fine. I just want to know why you're always attending these things, you know? Everyone seems to like it. I feel like I'm missing out."

She really made his heart go crazy. "You're not. This isn't the kind of thing you're into and that's okay. I'm glad for that." He smiled softly, taking her hand and walked with her back to where he left his drink. "We can sit over there on that couch."

"Okay." She hid her hands on the large front pocket of her hoodie—Boruto's university hoodie. She was practically bouncing on the way to the couch, the bun on her head synchronizing with her movements. Once she was settled in, she looked around. "Is this all you do?" She fixed her gaze at him. "Sit on couches and talk to girls?"

"Uhh…" Boruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "No. I drink and just hang out. Most of the time I'm not sitting."

"Oh," her gaze roamed around again, cheeks blushing and quickly looking away when she saw a couple making out by the door. "Like that?" she asked.

Boruto was certain she didn't want to hear about all the things he did at these parties. He wasn't proud of most of the things he did, so he knew she wouldn't be. But he didn't want to be a heartless liar. "That's not—let's just forget about _them."_ He took a quick sip of his drink and willed himself to calm down.

"Right," Nyoko looked away. "You're right, I shouldn't have even been looking at them." She covered her face with her hands, feeling wildly embarrassed.

"You might see more things like that—and worse. I wasn't lying when I said this wasn't your kind of thing, doll." She was way too pure. "We can leave anytime you want before the hour."

"But this is _your_ thing!" Nyoko leaned against him, face so close to his as she stared at his blue eyes with her magenta ones. "I want to know why you like being at parties."

Boruto felt really low when she was looking at him so softly, not knowing just how stupid he was. "For no good reasons, Nyoko." He said, face showing his disappointment in himself. "You don't need to know shit like that."

"But… I want to know more about you." Her curiosity was relentless. "If you like it, then there has to be something fun or good about parties."

"You know all the important things." Boruto sulked. She didn't need to know about his desire to get wasted and fuck any girl that tickled his fancy for a night—that he absolutely would not ever be able to commit himself to anyone… that he'd never be able to commit to her.

She stared at him a little longer, and she shifted her position on the couch to be able to be at eye-level with him. Nyoko was a small girl, needing to kneel on the couch and hold on to his shoulder for support just to achieve her goal.

"You're handsome and charming, Boruto. Is that all you use to get a girl to sleep with you? Or are they the ones who come on to you like the other girl you were mean to earlier?" She may be innocent but she wasn't dumb. Perhaps Nyoko just wanted to hear it from him other than everyone else, like she always did.

Boruto wanted to say he was innocent—but he wasn't. She was really calling him out and he didn't know how to respond. "Does that matter?" He asked, swallowing hard. He never wanted to look bad in her eyes, but there was no way out of this. She never pried about his 'relationships' before now. "That doesn't matter…" it was the last thing they needed to be talking about.

He was prone to word vomit.

"Why aren't you telling me?" She huffed. "Everyone is so eager to tell me except you."

That had his brows furrowing. "Tell you what? What do they say?" His heart had fallen and he wasn't sure how to feel or what to think exactly—but he could feel that this wasn't going to end well for him.

"That—" She looked away and sat back down. "That you do a _lot_ of things to a _lot_ of girls." Her cheeks turned pink, giving her usual pale complexion a rosy glow. "And they were a lot," She looked at him, her eyes wide. "I don't believe them, though. I'd believe what you'd tell me, that's why I want to know."

Boruto did do a lot, with a lot of girls, but admitting that to her wasn't going to be easy for him—especially when she didn't want to believe it. "Nyoko," he began with a sigh, drink long forgotten. "I never want to talk about other girls when I'm with you. But I can't lie to you and say that I don't see a fair amount of girls." None of them mattered to him though, they were irrelevant.

She didn't speak for a long while, barely even blinking. "Oh. I see." Nyoko turned her gaze away from him and looked around the frat house again. There were more people now, and she could see new couples getting cozy and doing things that she felt was inappropriate for her to be seeing. "I-I think I'll go back, now. But you can stay, don't worry about me."

As if he wouldn't worry. Boruto was worried about her, for more than one reason. For a long time, he had feared their closeness—craving it while wanting to keep her at a safe distance at the same time. Boruto adored her, but he didn't want her to fall in love with a guy like him because he wasn't good enough for her.

"Don't be silly, I'll walk you." He was already on his feet and offering her his hand. "It's late and the drunks are out."

"It's barely ten in the evening." she giggled. "Are you sure, though?" Nyoko asked as she took his hand and got up from the couch, swaying lightly from the head rush. "I don't want you to miss out because of me."

"I'm sure." He nodded quickly, giving her tiny hand a squeeze before ushering her along with him. "You could come back to my room and we can watch a movie if you want."

"You want to come watch a movie with me instead of going back to your party?" It shouldn't have been a surprise to her, but she was. "I don't think that's a good choice."

Boruto held the door open as they walked through and then closed it behind them, breathing in the fresh air outside and relaxing at the much quieter surroundings. "Why not?" He asked with a smile. "You're my best friend, of course I'm always happy to be with you."

"Right. Because we're… friends." She pulled her hand out of his grasp and slipped them back into the hoodie's front pockets. "I think I'll just head back to my dorm. I'm tired."

Was she lying to him? She was always tired lately and it wasn't like her to pass up a movie with him. And she pulled her hand away… "O-okay… You could still stay over though, I wouldn't be upset if you passed out on me."

Her smile widened but she shook her head. "I think I'll sleep for ten hours this time. Or forever." She laughed.

Boruto scoffed at that and threw his arm around her shoulder, pulling her to his side as they walked. "I'd never let that happen. I'll come wake your ass up in the morning with a burger and some soda."

Nyoko leaned on him and closed her eyes. "Really? You would?"

"You can expect me bright and early, doll. Not all of us like to sleep in all the time." He laughed, glad he was able to calm her down and hoping she would forget all the girls completely.

"At least I'll have something to look forward to in the morning," Nyoko sighed. "One more reason to wake up in the morning."

"Silly, you have a million reasons to wake up, but that burger will be number one tomorrow."

She giggled and wrapped an arm around his middle, leaning into Boruto some more. "You're the number one reason I'll be waking up tomorrow, Boruto."

Feeling his heart skip a beat, Boruto held onto her and wished on everything that one day, he would find the nerve to ask her for more. For now though, it just wasn't possible.

.

.

.

In the weeks following that night, there was a shift in Boruto's relationship with Nyoko. He knew it had a lot to do with the other girls in his life, he knew that she felt something more for him and she wanted him to step up and do something about it.

But he couldn't.

Even if he wanted to, Boruto wasn't capable of telling her how he felt—he wasn't capable of being in a _real_ romantic relationship with anyone. Not even her.

He tried his best to be there for her regardless, he never wanted to lose her, but he felt like he was. She was skipping movie nights with him and seeming to sleep more than ever. Nyoko was going off with her parents more often too and she hadn't been looking like herself. She was losing more weight and Boruto was scared. He knew it was all his fault because he was hurting her even though he didn't want to and he just didn't know how to fix it. All he wanted was her in his life—safe, healthy and smiling.

The more she distances herself from him, the more he did the same. Maybe it was for the best, he should just let her go. One day she would meet a decent guy who would be good for her and he would have to back off anyway. Boruto was never going to change. He had already considered it, but he didn't have the nerve for it. So he just started seeing more girls to forget about it, started drinking more and not thinking about all the what if's that had constantly been nagging him.

Forgetting her was impossible though and on those weeknights when he had consumed a particularly generous amount of alcohol, he couldn't help thinking of her and wishing things were back to normal. He wanted to see her. Wanted to talk to her. And Mitsuki was the one who had to deal with him.

"I wanna call… but I can't call… she won't fucking call me, bro. Why won't she call me?" Boruto has been going on for about half an hour straight.

Mitsuki turned on his bed and looked at Boruto. "It's three in the morning, Boruto. Nyoko is usually asleep by ten in the evening."

"Is it so wrong to want to talk to her? It's been two days since I've seen her. Maybe I should just go over to her dorm…" It didn't seem like a bad idea, but he was too busy drinking to actually get out of bed.

"Her roommate will kill you, and so will her neighbors," Mitsuki deadpanned. He was already not getting enough sleep since Boruto kept inviting girls over, but now that he was actually in his own bed, Boruto was being a drunk bastard. "Go to her dorm tomorrow morning when she wakes up."

"I need to talk to her _nowwww."_ Boruto groaned and then had another drink straight from the bottle. It didn't even burn anymore.

Mituski groaned and picked up his phone, looking through his contacts. After a while, he found Nyoko's number and sent her a text, apologizing if he was waking her, but Boruto was drunk and being a nuisance. If she was willing, Mitsuki would come to fetch her from her dorm to come and talk to Boruto. "She's asleep—" His eyes widened when he got a reply almost instantly.

' _I'm awake. Okay, I'll be there.'_

It took a little longer than usual, but finally, there was a soft knock at the door. Mitsuki jumped out of bed and opened the door, and there stood Nyoko. She was in a large—or perhaps it looked large on her because she had lost a lot of weight—sweater and pajamas. Her hair was loose on her shoulders, it seemed a lot longer and heavier now that her face looked thinner.

"Hello." She smiled weakly.

"Doll?" Boruto jolted up in bed, knocking his closed bottle of liquor onto the floor.

Nyoko hummed. "It's me."

Mitsuki looked at her from head to toe and then zeroed in on her face. He usually said whatever was on his mind but surprisingly he kept his lips shut. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

She smiled at him and gave Mitsuki a light hug. "You can sleep in my dorm for a while if you like. My roommate isn't there."

Mitsuki looked at Boruto and then back at her before nodding. "Just text me." And with that, he closed the door behind him, leaving the two in the dorm.

"Nyoko," Boruto grinned at her, holding out his hand for her to come over. "I've been missing you."

With small and careful steps, she made her way over to Boruto and sat on his bed, crossing her legs in front of her. "I've been missing you, too."

"Come here then," he said, giving her arm a little tug. He knew how much she loved to snuggle up to him and it had been too long.

Although she shifted a little closer, her nose wrinkled and she paused. "You smell like alcohol, Boruto."

Boruto hummed. "Been drinking… some." He shrugged but felt a little down that it put her off so much. "You want me to go shower?"

"No, it's okay." Nyoko moved a little closer, enough to lean her head on his shoulder but nowhere near as close as she used to cuddle with him. "Are you really drunk?" She poked his cheek. "I heard that drunk people can't lie… but anyway! Mitsuki told me you were looking for me."

"I have. I miss you and I know you've been avoiding me. I don't like it… I want us to be back to normal." It hurt to think that she didn't want the same thing—but Boruto was certain she did.

"I've been preoccupied with a lot of things, I'm sorry." She clutched onto his shirt and looked at him. "I want that too, but I also don't."

"Don't? Why… why not?" Boruto didn't like the thought of her not wanting to be his best friend anymore.

"Boruto…" Her hand shook as she gripped onto his shirt a little tighter, lower lip trembling. "Just what am I to you?"

What kind of a question was that? "You're my best friend, doll. You know that, don't you?" It had been that way for so long now. But he had messed up and not been around like he should, so he could understand her doubting him.

Her next breath came in shaky and her lower lip trembled. "Best friend? Is that all I'll ever be to you?" Nyoko released her hold on him and sat back, unable to look at him directly. "Because that's not what I want us to be."

"Why not? You don't want to be my friend anymore?" It really hurt him that she was pushing him away. Or had he been pushing her away all along?

"I want to be _more_ than friends," she mumbled. "I've always had feelings for you, Boruto. And I thought… you might have for me as well."

And there it was—his biggest fear becoming reality. For so long, Boruto had tried to avoid this. He hoped it would never happen. But it was happening and there was nothing he could do to salvage their friendship. Truthfully he did have feelings for her. Boruto had been in love with her for years, but it didn't matter. He couldn't admit that to her.

"Nyoko… you don't mean that. You just think your feelings are more than what they are. You feel comfortable with me because we're best friends. That's all."

"I—What? No. That isn't what it is, Boruto. I mean it."

"Don't do this. Please don't ruin what we have. I don't want to lose you." Boruto could feel his heart breaking, but it was him who was now putting a distance between them as he slid further away from her.

It was all his fault for making her feel things for him. He should have known better.

"I'm not… doing anything, Boruto," She whispered. "If I was wrong, and you really don't love me, then at least tell me." Nyoko covered her face with her small hands, her shoulders shaking.

Boruto was about to lose her forever but he was desperate not to—not desperate enough to confess though. "I _do_ love you, Nyoko… but I'm not in love with you."

She had pushed herself to the other side of the bed, folding her legs in front of her and keeping her hands on her face and her head bowed. No matter how hard she tried to hide her feelings from him, the sound of her choking on her own tears and sucking in the air was more than enough to let Boruto know how she was really feeling.

"Please don't cry, doll," Boruto frowned, moving closer to rub her back. He was too drunk to notice how much skinnier she was. "You mean so much to me. I just—it's not like that for me. Doesn't mean I don't love you though."

"B-But I do…" she cried. "I love you so much."

This was too much and he had drank way too much to deal with it properly. "I'm sorry." He whispered, not knowing what else to say. "You mean a lot to me… I wish I could be what you want but I can't. I'm still here though—I'm still your best friend."

Nyoko cried a little louder, but eventually started laughing between the tears. "I-I'm sorry." She cried more. "You shouldn't feel the need to love me back when you don't. That's not—not what I want." She wiped her tears away. "I never wanted to pressure you for anything, Boruto. I'm sorry if I ever have."

"Never." He denied it quickly, because it was true. The only pressure he felt was from himself. Never her. "Really, it's okay. I'm the one who is sorry, doll. And I meant it when I said I love you. You believe me, don't you?"

"They say drunk people never lie," she laughed between sobs. "I wouldn't know but I'll take their word for it. Or… yours, rather."

Boruto was sure what little remained of his heart had shattered and he wanted nothing more than to hold her, so he moved to sit next to her and pulled her onto his lap, not paying attention to how easy it was to do so. "I mean it… and… everything will be okay. I mean, we never know what might happen." Maybe one day he could admit his feelings. Right now though, Boruto couldn't see it happening.

Especially not tonight.

Nyoko leaned on him and wrapped her arms around his middle, trying her best to calm herself down. She didn't talk, only nodded, agreeing that they both really didn't know what would happen to them in the future. "I'm tired," she breathed.

"Okay." Boruto nodded and got under the covers, moving her along with him easily. She snuggled up to him just as she always did and Boruto held onto her, playing with her hair as she drifted off.

It was a long time after that before he actually fell asleep and he allowed himself to only after he'd told her sleeping form that he loved her once again, wishing he could tell her how much. This was all he could do for now though. Boruto pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and finally let himself fall asleep as well. But when he woke up the following day, she wasn't there.

Mitsuki was in the room, doing some work on his laptop, but Boruto didn't bother asking about Nyoko. He felt like shit—both from drinking too much and from knowing how horrible he was to her.

That was the first time Boruto had ever seen her cry like that and it was because of him.

Needing some time to get his thoughts in order, Boruto decided not to reach out to her. He wanted to, but he just couldn't do it. Several times, he'd actually tried. He went to text her only to type a dozen different messages that all ended up being erased. Eventually he gave up and turned to alcohol again and for once Mitsuki didn't utter a single word to him.

At least not until the next day, when Boruto was awakened by his roommate calling out to him and shaking his shoulder. Groggily, Boruto's blue eyes fluttered open and he groaned. His head was pounding and Mitsuki was still hovering and shaking him, so Boruto slapped his hand away.

"What the hell, Mitsuki?" He snapped, hand coming together his face to rub his tired eyes.

"Boruto wake up!" Mitsuki sounded frantic. "It's Nyoko. She's—" he stopped, seemingly still horrified about what he was about to say. "She's—"

Boruto felt his blood run cold, eyes opening wide to truly take in his distressed friend. "She's what?" He moved to stand up but was so shaken, his knees were wobbly. "What's wrong with Nyoko?!"

There was a harsh knock on the door, a guy screaming behind it to open the door. Mitsuki rushed to open it, and Shikadai stumbled in, looking at the two of them. "They found Nyoko…"

"I know," Mitsuki replies grimly.

"Found her where?" Boruto looked between his friends, pushing Mitsuki on his arm when he didn't start talking immediately. "Did something happen to her?" It wasn't possible. Boruto wouldn't believe it.

Shikadai couldn't believe Boruto didn't know. "They found her in her dorm, she was asleep and—"

"She didn't wake up." Mitsuki finished.

She didn't wake up? "She's sleeping a lot." Boruto whispered, that was all. "She's just tired."

"Bro." Shikadai gave him a pitying look.

"She has been," Mitsuki agreed. "But Boruto, Nyoko's roommate found her and couldn't wake her up."

She was a deep sleeper. "Is it… something more serious?" Boruto asked carefully. He took a step towards his closet. He needed to get dressed. "Maybe… she needs to see a doctor."

"She was brought out by an ambulance," Shikadai replied quietly. "Most of the people were asking what for, though."

"We need to get to the hospital then." Boruto opened his closet and grabbed the closest shirt he could find.

"Boruto." Mitsuki walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at his friend in the eyes. "Nyoko's dead."

* * *

It was cold—so cold it was freezing but thankfully there was no snow in the forecast.

Boruto did at least make sure to dress warmly, even wrapping his scarf around his neck and a thick toboggan was on his head, covering his ears. It was early, not even lunchtime but Boruto had been visiting Nyoko since just after the sun had risen.

It was a day as quiet and cold as death itself, but Boruto stood before her grave, staring at her name that was engraved so beautifully on the stone in front of him. He hadn't said anything, but he had cried a lot and spent a lot of time scolding himself. Even after three years—even after doing his best to be a better guy, Boruto still hadn't been able to forgive himself.

Maybe he never would.

Eventually, Boruto sat on the ground by her grave. By then, her parents had already come and gone as well as many of her friends and relatives. They never stayed long, but they all added flowers to her grave just as he had—said a few words and then went on their way. Boruto was the only one who found it so hard to leave. He didn't pay anyone else any attention, her parents being the only ones he greeted. For a while, he was just in a daze of painful nostalgia until a familiar scent filled his nose.

_Sarada._

Boruto turned his head just in time to see the girl walking up, carrying flowers as well. At first, Boruto assumed she was there to pay respects to someone else and was walking over because she'd spotted him, but she added her flowers to all the other ones surrounding Nyoko's grave.

Having no words, Boruto just stared at her, face calm but giving away his inner turmoil. He was exhausted and on the verge of becoming ill, but he couldn't hide that from Sarada and he knew she was really seeing him.

Sarada smiled at him, and pulled out a thick blanket from her bag. She opened it open and draped it around his shoulders. Once she was satisfied that it kept him covered, she sat on the ground next to him, still not saying a word. She pulled out a canister next, and opened it up. Hot soup came pouring out and she handed it to him, a kind smile on her face.

"I think she would have wanted you to stay warm."

Knowing her, she probably would. Boruto nodded and had a sip of the soup even if his appetite was nonexistent. It was good and warm and it made him feel slightly better. Or maybe that was just Sarada.

"Thank you." He smiled at her, even if it came across as more sad than anything. He never expected her to show up—bringing him soup and a blanket. But he did appreciate it.

"You're welcome." Sarada smiled and rubbed his shoulder. She looked at him for a while, before looking over to Nyoko's grave. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to intrude here. I just wanted to know you were okay."

"That's okay… Nyoko gets a lot of visitors today. And I'm okay, Sarada. Glad that you came."

Sarada smiled at him. "It's no problem. I did want to come and meet her, too. Shikadai sends his regards."

Boruto hummed and had another sip of the soup. "He gave away my location, huh?"

"Shikadai can be extremely helpful when given the right incentive," Sarada giggled.

"Mmhmm." Boruto shook his head at that. "I'm sure you were very persuasive."

"Maybe a little bit," she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. When a cold wind blew, Sarada shuddered and wound her scarf on a little tighter. "I guess I should go, I don't want to catch a cold."

Frowning, Boruto looked back to the tombstone and sighed. Nyoko wouldn't want Sarada getting sick either and he had already been with her all day. "I'll drive you home." He said while holding his arm out with the blanket, inviting her in. "But first, I'll finish my soup. So come here."

Sarada's eyes widened but softened after a while. She moved closer to him and got under the blanket, feeling so much warmer. Her cheeks were flushed, rosy and so full of life. Her eyes stayed on the tombstone for a while before she finally leaned on Boruto's shoulder.

"You can tell me about her, if you like."

Boruto had another sip of his soup and found himself smiling softly at her thoughtfulness. "I'd love to tell you about her… another day though. Thank you for caring."

"Alright," Sarada nodded. "And when that day comes, I'll visit Nyoko again to validate everything." She grinned at him, although playful, was still soft. "Whenever you want to."

Nobody ever wanted to visit with him. Even Shikadai and Mitsuki avoided it. "I would really like that, Sarada. And I'm sure she would too."

For the first time in three years, on this very day, Boruto had managed to smile. Somehow, Sarada put him at ease and made everything seem a lot calmer. He was warm now and full thanks to the soup she'd brought him. He was also leaving the grave much earlier than he normally would, but he wasn't upset about it. If anything, Boruto was thankful because it felt like he was actually going to be moving on with his life.

He would never forget, but he could push forward and be an even better man. It seemed like the best option for him and he didn't want to hurt anyone else. Ever. Sarada had already told him that she believed he had changed and Boruto believed that too. He couldn't change the past, but he was determined to never make those mistakes again.

Boruto would always make sure that he showed those people closest to him that he cared.

Even after he finished his soup, Sarada didn't make a move to leave. She stayed right by his side and waited for him to be ready to go. Boruto finally stood up and offered her his hand, Sarada gladly took it and stood up, carefully folding her blanket and putting away the empty canister.

She waited for him a few steps away, watching Boruto as he looked at the tombstone one last time before turning to face Sarada and ushered her back on to the road then led the way to his car. He still opened her door for her, like he always did.

Once they were both settled in and Boruto turned the heater on, Sarada reached for his hand and held it in hers. Boruto didn't look at her, as he kept his eyes on the road, but he gave her hand a squeeze.

The rest of the ride was quiet, but the aura felt a lot lighter than it did since the start of the week and Boruto was happy to have Sarada with him at the end of the day.

For the first time, the day didn't end on such a heavy note. And Boruto felt like he was finally moving on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of tears were shed while writing this chapter. Mostly Tyy. Hahaha! We both felt so attached to Nyoko and genuinely feel bad this is what had to push Boruto to grow and do better. Kudos to Sarada for also being understanding and supportive. Loss is a theme that's always hard to write and convey but we hope we were able to deliver the feels.
> 
> Cheers,  
> Kairi and Tyy


	31. Filler 8: Never Be Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a filler chapter, written for BoruSaraWeek2020 D5: Teasing & Bed

It had only been a few weeks, but Sarada couldn't imagine living without Boruto anymore. They would switch between his house and her apartment every few days but it was always the same. She would go to sleep tucked in his arms and wake up the same way. It made her sleep a lot better, feel a lot safer, and no longer alone.

Gone were the days of her sleeping on one side and observing an empty space on her bed, as whenever she would crack an eye open, his sleeping face or his blue eyes would always be looking right back at her.

She had gotten so used to his presence, that the thought of him going with his father on a business trip for two days made her cross her arms and pout.

Sarada sat on the couch and stubbornly refused any of his comforting words to call and text her whenever he could. "But you won't be _here_ ," she pressed. "My apartment will feel so empty."

"Come on, Princess. I'll be back before you know it. You'll barely miss me." Boruto tried his best to soothe her, sitting next to her with open arms even if she was ignoring the gesture.

Sarada stuck her nose up in the air, still refusing to accept that he would be gone without her. It was silly and a little selfish of her. But she would miss him, for sure. Not like she would ever admit that out loud. "You'll be leaving me here. All _alone_!" She whined.

Boruto chuckled at her poutiness, reaching over to poke her nose playfully. "Well if you start feeling that lonely, put on a horror movie and you won't feel so lonely anymore."

All the hairs on Sarada's body stood on end and she choked on a gasp. How _dare_ he suggest such a thing! Boruto was already leaving and he has the audacity to tease her still. She swiftly turned her gaze to him, eyebrows furrowed together and a scowl on her face.

"I hate you!" She screeched and picked up a pillow to hit him repeatedly with it. "You know I hate horror!" And now, even if she hadn't watched any horror film, the familiar feeling of being watched and followed surrounded her.

"Gah, relax! I was only kidding." Boruto laughed, snatching the pillow away from her and wrapping her in his arms. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her cheek swiftly. "You'll be just fine. We can call as much as you want."

She squirmed in his arms, that stubborn pout still on her face. Although he was being sweet and Sarada knew he meant it, she still didn't like the idea of being all alone. Now the thought of a paranormal being lingering around to keep her from feeling truly alone hung in her head and she closed her eyes, shaking her head. "It's still not the same!"

"Of course it's not. I know that. I'm not happy either, ya know? I knew you would be as upset as me but it doesn't change the fact that I can't get out of this." He sighed and stroked her cheek tenderly, trying his best to reassure her. "It's only for two days."

Sarada hid her face on his chest. Two days. Surely she could go on two days without Boruto. It would be a piece of cake. But the thought of ghosts hanging around… She fought her way out of his arms and stormed into the bedroom, more upset that he planted that idea in her head more than the fact that he had to leave for business with his father. "Don't come into the bedroom!" She huffed and slammed the door. Quickly padding over to the bed and turning on the lampshade, Sarada hid under the covers and closed her eyes, trying to will the images and the feeling of being watched out of her imagination.

It was only a few seconds later that she heard the door open slightly. "Saradaaaaa, don't be mad!"

"I said don't come in!" She exclaimed from under the thick covers.

"Fine! Just waste our time then," Boruto scoffed and closed the door, leaving her be.

Sarada felt her face flood with heat and tears prick at her eyes. She was being silly, and Boruto was right. The only thing she was doing was wasting the little time they had together until before his trip, and it was all because she was being so stubborn. She sniffled and buried her face on his pillow, inhaling his scent and letting it calm her down. Before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep.

.

.

.

It was dark, and she woke with a fright, feeling cold and all alone—but not _quite_ alone. Her hand groped around and found that Boruto's side was cold and empty. It took her a while to recall that she did tell him not to enter the bedroom, but the fact that he listened only upset her more. She peeked out of the covers and thought she saw a shadow by the door. "B-Boruto?" She hid back under the covers and felt herself shake when she didn't hear him respond.

Pulling the covers around her body, she faced the other way and put her glasses on before slowly getting up, keeping her eyes on the floor. If she ever saw anything in this dark room that was anywhere near something from one of Boruto's stupid horror movies, she was never ever going to forgive him.

Quickly pulling the door open and tiptoeing quickly into the living room, she found the lampshade on the corner on, and saw Boruto's sleeping form, curled up on the couch. She still had the sensation of being watched, but knowing Boruto was an arm's reach away was enough for her to brave walking across the hall and into the living room. She put a hand on his arm and shook him lightly. "Boruto."

His head turned and eyes closed a little tighter as he stirred. "Eh? Sarada?" His blue eyes opened the tiniest bit so he could see what was happening, but when his vision cleared enough to make out the fearful look on her face, they opened wide and he sat up. "What's wrong?"

Sarada sat down on the couch and made him scoot over to give her room. "I thought I saw something," she turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding her face on his chest. "You weren't in bed with me."

"Aw, Princess. You didn't see anything, don't worry… Come on, I'll go to bed with you." He rubbed her back, giving her time to move when she was ready.

She held on a little tighter and shook her head. "Here is fine," she whispered, just relieved to have him close to her again.

Boruto clicked his tongue but smiled softly. "Don't be silly, you won't sleep well on the couch with me. The bed will be much nicer."

Sarada shook her head again, not wanting to go back, trying to erase the memory of a shadow lingering by the door. "I don't want to," she mumbled.

"You don't want to cuddle in bed with me?" Boruto put on a sulky expression and rubbed his cheek on hers, trying to coax her into moving.

"I'm already doing that now!" she huffed and closed her eyes tightly.

" _In bed,"_ Boruto repeated. "Come on, let's go. Don't make me carry you."

"Noooo!" she meant to sound firm and defiant but it came out like bratty child whining. Sarada did not want to go back there and if he really wanted to get to bed, "You have to carry me if you want me to get up from this couch."

"So difficult." He mused, but didn't waste any time lifting her into his arms as he stood. "Coming to me all clingy in the middle of the night after you kicked me out. What if I had gone home?"

Her dark eyes flashed at him with a mixture of confusion, hurt, and anger. "You would leave me for real?" Sarada wanted to sound angry but it came out a choked sob.

"Princess… no… never." Boruto promised her with an apologetic smile. "You see I didn't go anywhere, right?"

She shook her head and pressed her cheek on his shoulder. "I don't want you to go." At this point, she wasn't even sure if she was speaking about the business trip, him leaving her for the night, or leaving her at _all_.

"I won't. Don't worry about it, I'll figure something out." He mumbled as he walked them into the bedroom and carried her to the bed. Once they were lying down, he tucked his arm around her and held her tight. "I can't get out of the trip… but what if you come with me?"

 _Come on the trip?_ Sarada lifted her head to peek up at him. "Is that allowed? I don't know if the company will fund me to go with you… or if you two even need me in your meeting."

"Just leave it to me. Don't you worry about a thing." He smiled warmly at her and leaned his face closer to rub their noses together. "I always need you. I'll convince dad, no problem."

Sarada nodded and nuzzled closer to Boruto, already feeling so much better. "Okay," she breathed. "I just don't want to intrude."

"You will be a big help. I always want my best girl by my side. Work or not…" He whispered before pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "I'll have it all taken care of in the morning before you even wake up."

Hearing him reassure her with confidence made her breathe easier and her heart feel lighter. Sarada cuddled up to him, removed her glasses and put it away before closing her eyes again. "Okay. Good night, Boruto."

"Good night, Princess." He replied quietly, fingers sliding through her silky hair to help lull her to sleep.

.

.

.

The next morning, Sarada felt a gentle hand on her back, stroking up and down in long, slow motions. Then she registered the familiar scent of coffee—and then a voice that she had grown so used to.

"Wake up, Princess. It's getting late and I have news."

Still, with her eyes closed, Sarada moaned and shifted her position. "Sleepy…" she mumbled.

"I know, Sarada. But listen, you're coming with me and we will be leaving in a couple of hours." Boruto told her, holding her coffee at the ready. "You'll have to shower and all, I'd pack for you but I'd more than likely pack the wrong stuff…"

Her big dark eyes blinked open at the smell of coffee, still not fully internalizing what Boruto said. "What?" She rubbed at her eye, sighing quietly. "I'm going?"

"Yes, you're going… as my assistant. So, you will be working. Sorry about that, but it was the best way to make it happen." He smiled at her and offered the coffee.

Assistant. Although it made her frown for a moment, Sarada smiled sleepily and sat up. "As long as you still treat me like a princess and get to stay with you, that's fine."

"Well, you _are_ my princess so I will always treat you as such." Boruto winked at her. Once she accepted her coffee, he stood straight and she noticed he was already showered and dressed for the day. "Maybe I can even spoil you a bit when we're free from meetings."

Taking a sip of coffee, Sarada quirked a brow up. "What do you mean?" She inched to the edge of the bed, dangling her legs over the edge. "Isn't your schedule full until dinner?"

"It is." He nodded, confirming her words. "But for dinner and after, I'm all yours."

Before and after dinner, like their usual daily routine. Sarada stood up, went on her tiptoes, and planted a soft kiss on his lips. He tasted like coffee, mixed with his own unique taste. When she pulled away, she sighed and leaned on his chest. "That sounds perfect."

Maybe in the future, he would be all hers, regardless of the time.

Not like she wanted that, or anything, though.


	32. Filler 9: What If

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for BoruSaraWeek 2020, D5: School
> 
> What If Sarada went to Konoha University? What if Boruto and Sarada met? What if they had that friendship and ended up working in Ichiraku Ramen Corp together?
> 
> This story is full of "what ifs," and actual dates. A new and improved flavor with no denial added. Best consumed if up to date with Sincerely Yours's fillers, but not a necessary prerequisite.
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

With Autumn came a new semester and Boruto finally found himself prepared to return, to finish his studies and move on with his life. It had taken a lot from him—losing his best friend, Nyoko, a girl so precious to him. He'd had no choice but to take a break from it all, for his own mental health. But he was better now. Not _normal,_ not the young man he was before, but he was definitely better.

Getting settled back into his old dorm room with Mitsuki was another task on its own, but he was managing it. In a way, it was bittersweet and he had so many good memories there. So many hard ones too that he just didn't care to think of and he seriously debated just making the long drive to and from his home, but he knew that would have been ridiculous and taxing on him.

It was time to get back to life and Boruto was honestly happy to do so. His friends and family had been so understanding, but he'd been leaning on them for too long. Being back on campus was good for him, focusing on his studies too. The first day was a lot to take in and it flew by. Before he knew it day two had come and he was awake as early as he always was. After having his shower and getting dressed in a pair of jeans, a button-down shirt with a black knitted sweater over it, Boruto made his way across campus.

This morning, he was feeling hungry and had a craving for coffee that he just couldn't shake, so he walked his way to the Ninbucks on campus while thinking over what he wanted to eat with his coffee. Looking over at the board, Boruto stuffed his hands in his pockets, reading their selection of drinks and the featured food for the month. He had been so distracted by reading that he didn't notice someone was also walking his way.

Their bodies collided, and the sound of a cup crushing and falling on the floor echoed in the store along with a shocked gasp. Boruto was able to hop away, but the other person stood frozen, hot coffee on her leg and at the hem of her pale yellow skirt.

"Oh my god!" She gasped, dark eyes locked on the spilled coffee as she backed up to the small bench against the wall and sat down to examine herself.

"Shit, sorry I wasn't paying attention." Boruto was all eyes on those legs, surprised that the girl was wearing a skirt with no stockings when it was pretty chilly outside. He was quick to gather some napkins and kneel down in front of her to remove her shoe and carefully clean away the coffee.

They were the best legs he'd ever laid eyes on. But it wasn't until his blue eyes drifted upward and he took in that gorgeous face of hers—framed by the darkest hair—that he really _felt_ something. The most striking feature she possessed was her eyes. Those big, obsidian eyes had his breath hitching even if she was looking at him like he was the scum of the earth.

Looking at her then was when Boruto felt himself come back to life and he slowly stood back up, unable to pull his gaze away from her. "Hey… I'm sorry. Is your leg okay?"

She scoffed. "My leg is fine but you _murdered_ my coffee!"

 _Murdered?_ "Sorry about that." He laughed nervously, raising his hands in surrender. "It's my bad, but I'll buy you another to replace it. And anything else you want, okay?"

The girl pouted at him and turned away. "The coffee is fine… Thank you."

"Sarada, are you okay?" One of the baristas came over, holding on to a mop.

"I-I'm fine," She smiled nervously and waved her hands in the air in front of her.

"Yeah…" Boruto grinned at her, agreeing until he realized he was slipping, just a bit. He couldn't help it, there was just something about her that made him feel warm and soft. "I mean, uh, I'll get your replacement coffee. And food. You hungry?" It was still early, maybe he could even talk her into sitting with him.

His kind offer made her blush. "No, it's okay. You don't have to. Just the coffee is fine."

"I _want_ to." He smiled and gestured to the counter with a tilt of his head. "Order with me."

The blush on her cheek deepened, but she followed him to the counter anyway, ordering her coffee and a muffin. She then turned to face him. "Are you sure? You really don't have to get me anything else other than the coffee… the one you murdered."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a coffee murderer. I'm trying to make it up to you, ya know?" He laughed and then gave his own order, a coffee, and a sandwich. "I'm sure, Sarada. Are you sure all you want is a muffin?"

"It's fine," she waved her hand. "It's not fair you know my name and I don't know yours." At least she was lightening up after he killed her coffee. For a moment, Boruto thought she would kill him for it. Now she was teasing.

"Does that mean you want to know me?" Boruto asked as they stood to the side to wait on their orders. He sure wouldn't mind knowing her.

"Your _name_ ," she pressed, "Is what I want to know. Don't you think it's rude not to introduce yourself, especially after you spilled their coffee on them?" The curve of her lips watered down how mean her words _should_ have been. "Sarada Uchiha," she extended her hand for a shake.

Boruto was grinning so hard his face was beginning to hurt, hand grasping hers to shake it politely. "Boruto Uzumaki." Their hands lowered, but Boruto didn't release hers, staring at her as he wondered how they hadn't met each other yet. "Is this your first year?" It didn't even seem possible for him to miss out on someone as beautiful as Sarada for so long.

"No, I'm graduating." She smiled. "We've… met before, if you don't recall. I just didn't catch your name."

That had his eyes widening and he unconsciously gave her hand a little squeeze. "We met? When?" To be sure he would have remembered it. How could he forget such a lovely face—and those legs?

Her eyes softened, her teasing smile replaced with a sad one. Sarada's voice lowered, "At Nyoko's locker, a few days after she passed."

Feeling the blood drain from his face, Boruto released her hand to let his own dangle by his side. That was a dark, _dark_ time for him so of course, he wouldn't remember. He didn't remember much at all from that week. He was feeling too much, shocked that for a while, his mind had been void of the girl he wronged and lost forever, and it wasn't right for him to think of her with grief only. He knew that yet every time she crossed his mind, that's all he felt. That and this burning anger with himself for being so stupid.

Never again.

"I see." He eventually got out, voice much quieter than before. Their order was finally called out and they collected their things. "Well, I'm gonna sit over there."

Sarada picked up their food and followed him to the table. After setting everything down, she took a seat across him, noticing his change in demeanor. "I'm sorry, I know it was sad what happened to her. Nyoko was really sweet, and a good friend." She pushed his food and coffee towards him, tentatively picking up her cup and taking a sip. Her eyes closed, finally in bliss. "So good…" she whispered.

He kept his eyes on her and felt himself melting when her face warmed so much from getting that first taste of the coffee. She was surprisingly distracting and it was very welcomed. "Yeah, she was. Thank you. And I'm glad you finally got your coffee, but don't forget to eat."

"Sorry," she chuckled. "I was having a moment. You don't forget to eat, too."

"It was a lovely moment, Sarada. Feel free to have another." Boruto smiled as he unwrapped his sandwich and then raised his coffee to his lips for a sip. He would like to have one of those moments himself. And he did because it was _perfect_. He hummed approvingly and smiled wider at her when he set his cup back down. "I've really missed Ninbucks."

Sarada smiled, happy that he also had his moment. "How long has it been since your last?"

"Ugh… like… six months?" It had been before Nyoko's death.

"Six months?!" Sarada screeched, barely containing her voice. It was as if she had seen a ghost. "How do you live without coffee?" Although she was most likely kidding, those eyes seemed to be serious.

"I've had coffee here and there, made at home though. There's just something special about Ninbucks." He found himself laughing as he picked up his sandwich to take a bite.

That seemed to relieve her, letting out a sigh. "Okay, that makes more sense." Sarada picked up her muffin and took a bite.

The girl seemed to be really passionate about coffee, but Boruto wanted to know more about her. "Tell me something else about you—besides the fact that you're addicted to coffee."

Sarada sighed again and put both her food and coffee down on the table. "Hmm… I'm taking marketing and part of the student government, handling external affairs."

"Something unrelated to school?" He asked then, taking a different approach.

"Like what?" That made her pout. "Hobbies and my favorite color?" She laughed.

Boruto just continued to smile, more watching her than he was actually eating. "No, like… where do you want to be in five years—ten years? What comes after this?"

"What a deep question!" Her brows raised, and she stifled a laugh. "Do you _always_ ask strangers their life plans after murdering their coffee, Boruto? I think I would rather tell you I like to read and I like the color red."

He totally didn't cower back in his seat and he most definitely didn't blush. Boruto only averted his eyes to stare at his sandwich instead of her. "No… I don't." It wasn't really like him and he didn't know why he'd even asked. He just wanted to know more—the important things. Even if those things were none of his business.

She hummed and picked up her coffee to take a sip. "How about you? Hobbies or your life plans, any you want to answer."

"Well, I'm into investments and have plans to help my friend with a company he wants to start." Boruto shrugged, thinking there wasn't much on his to-do list, as long as he could manage that. It was the only solid thing he had planned for himself. "As far as hobbies go… I don't know. A lot has changed for me over the last six months. _I've_ changed a lot. But I do enjoy watching thrillers and helping my dad with numbers whenever he needs me. Or getting forced into driving my sister around on occasion."

There was no more partying for him or any more wild nights. He didn't want those things anymore like he used to. He just wanted to be a good guy, someone his family and friends could be proud of. And right now, that meant getting through his schooling even if it wasn't easy.

"Investments…" she nodded and smiled. "Are you in finance?"

Boruto chewed the bite of his sandwich he'd just taken and nodded to answer before he swallowed and cleared his throat. "Yes. I was in business but I transferred."

"Ooh." Sarada's eyes lit up, giving names and asking if he knew them. Some of them were familiar and based on who they were, he guessed Sarada was in his batch.

She was as interesting as she was beautiful and Boruto actually enjoyed talking to her. When they went their separate ways to get to their classes, Boruto was hoping to see her again soon.

That day didn't come until weeks later and it was just in passing, the two of them waving to each other and nothing more. Boruto had wanted to approach her, but Mitsuki was dragging him off and she was with some friends as well. It just wasn't meant to be. Somehow, she kept wandering into his mind though, until one day, he decided to break down and ask his friend Shikadai about her. That only led to him receiving the most shocking information.

"What the hell do you mean she has a _boyfriend?"_ Boruto snapped, scowling at his 'friend'. Shikadai was normally one of those guys who were always right, but not this time. No way Sarada wasn't single. "No, she doesn't."

"Yes, she does." Shikadai retorted, looking unimpressed. "They've been together for a while too. Like a few years, I think."

"Who?" Boruto asked, annoyed to be hearing these _lies._

Shikadai raised his brow. "For someone who goes out often, you don't retain information on people you meet, do you? It's Hōki." When it still didn't register, Shikadai rolled his eyes. "Football dude."

"That bastard?" Boruto gasped. He knew him, he'd drank with him before. "I believe he's been single too many times for him to be in a relationship with Sarada." It disgusted him just thinking about it. "Either fucking way, is this supposed to stop me?" It wouldn't. Especially now that he knew who the guy was.

Shikadai gave him a deadpan look. "Okay, I get it. She's hot and you wanna fuck her. But Sarada _really_ isn't like other girls." He sighed. "She's actually like… in love with him. For real."

That only pissed him off more. "Well, she shouldn't be." The poor girl was obviously blinded by her feelings, but Boruto was also caught up by the fact that fucking her wasn't the only thing on his mind.

He'd thought about it. He had definitely thought about it, but he'd thought about a lot more than just that.

"What are you trying to say, Shikadai?" Boruto asked, voice low. "You think I don't have a chance? Is that what our friendship has become? You doubt me?"

"I need a smoke," Shikadai sighed loudly and pulled his pack out of his pocket. "Whatever, Boruto. Look, I don't know either of them enough to care too much but I do know _you._ " He threw his hand in the air. "But if you go homewrecking and it goes to shit, don't call me."

"Ooh," Mitsuki popped out of nowhere, a wide serpentine-like smile on his face. "It looks like another snake will be added to my aquarium."

"Shut up, Mitsuki." Boruto glared at him. "You're both supposed to be on my side." He wasn't wrong for being interested in Sarada. It wasn't like he was trying to marry her or anything. "I just want to… talk to her."

" _Talk_ ," Shikadai nodded, putting a cigarette between his lips. "Is that what they're calling sex these days?"

Boruto groaned, knowing exactly why Shikadai was coming for him like this. He deserved it. "If you wanna base this off sex then fine. But this is the truth… I want to talk to her _and_ fuck her. More than once."

The cigarette fell from his lips. "So like… Professor Yumi?"

"Strange for you to want her more than once." Mitsuki nodded. "I think I need to be friends with her if it means she will be at our dorm often."

"It's different. I want to _know_ her." Boruto sulked. Yumi was fun, and she was beautiful and smart, but Sarada really interested him.

"Woah there," Shikadai picked up his cigarette and snickered. "For a moment it sounded like you wanna fuck her _with_ feelings." He ended up laughing, not even considering Boruto could be capable of such a thing. "You leave that to her boyfriend, though."

"Fuck off. He doesn't even exist in my mind." Boruto snorted. Neither of his friends was helping him any, but it didn't matter. He would see her again soon.

It didn't take long until he bumped into her—well, more like he sought her out. He heard from his student government friends that she liked to study in the library and that was where Boruto spent a good ten minutes wandering around until he found her. Books were strewn around her and her notebook open before her, scrawling out notes.

She was alone. Perfect.

A grin spreading across his face, Boruto shoved his hands in the pocket of his hoodie and started walking over to her. He felt lighter than he had in days, loving how calm and pretty she looked as she concentrated on reading. His good mood evaporated whenever he spotted another guy walking over to her as well. _Hōki._

Maybe he should have just turned around and gone about his business, but instead, he just kept walking. He cut Hōki a cold glance before returning his eyes to Sarada, placing his hand on the back of the chair next to her before Hōki could reach it.

"Hey, Sarada." He called, easily finding himself smiling once more. If he just looked at her, he would forget Hōki's existence again.

She startled but an easy smile found its place on her lips. "Oh, Boruto. Hello." She put her pen down and tucked her hair behind her ear, before looking to the side and spotting another person. "You're here!" Her smile widened, and Boruto hated it. "I thought you weren't coming until later."

"I couldn't wait to see you, baby." He smiled and planted a kiss on the top of her head before glaring at Boruto and snickering. "Bro, I didn't know you actually went to the library."

"Oh, you know each other?" She asked, looking between them.

Boruto didn't think he'd ever truly hated someone until this moment. But he knew he couldn't stand this guy. "Oh yeah, totally. It's been a while, hasn't it? When was the last time…" he crossed his arms and tapped his chin pensively, even though he remembered well when he'd seen Hōki last. Just the weekend before actually when Shikadai begged him to go to a frat party with him and Boruto gave in. "Oh, I remember now."

The look he gave Hōki was condescending and filled with challenge. He even cocked a brow, daring him to test his patience. He didn't have any. Not for Hōki.

"When?" He asked, snaking an arm around his girl and it made Boruto want to gag. Although the way Sarada looked so happy to be in his arms had him conflicted. "When? Sorry, dude. But I don't remember when was the last time I saw you."

He _had_ to remember. Or maybe he didn't since he'd been too busy grinding and making out with a girl who wasn't Sarada. Boruto wanted to call him out, his fists clenched with a need to knock him on his ass and take the girl for himself. But she looked so happy… he didn't have it in him to break her heart—even if she deserved to know.

With an apologetic look at the raven-haired beauty, Boruto shook his head. "Forget it. See you." He bumped the bottom of his fist on the empty chair and then turned around, heart aching for the girl who was so blissfully unaware of who the guy she was dating truly was.

.

.

.

Another few weeks came and went with Sarada still worming her way into Boruto's thoughts. Most of those thoughts revolved around her current relationship though. It was eating at him, knowing Hōki wasn't doing right by her at all. He tried to let it go, really he did, but he couldn't when it was shoved in his face.

Maybe he was horrible for interfering, but he felt even worse for just standing by, knowing and yet doing nothing. Boruto couldn't watch the bastard cheat on her. He wouldn't. Somebody needed to stand up for her, and she couldn't if she didn't know.

It was at yet another frat party that Boruto had been guilted into attending when it happened. He and Shikadai had been taking a lot of shots with their friends when he happened to escape, wanting to step outside for some fresh air. He didn't get far, however, before he spotted that familiar mop of brown hair, two dainty hands fisting it. They belonged to a girl, another one who wasn't Sarada. Some blonde who Boruto didn't consider when he marched over and roughly tapped on Hōki's back.

The instant he pulled away from the girl and turned to see who was interrupting him, Boruto shoved him away from the girl. He wasn't drunk enough not to care about an innocent bystander. Hōki knew what was coming, his eyes narrowing and hands raising as if to defend himself, or pose to strike first. Hōki was so low. Boruto hadn't always been the best guy. He'd fucked around a lot, but he would never cheat on anyone and he didn't like it happening to anyone else.

Especially Sarada.

No words were even crossed between them before Hōki swung first. Boruto used his left arm to knock Hōki's away, effectively blocking the punch while delivering one of his own at the same time. He connected, but Hōki had moved just enough for the hit to do no more than graze his cheek. Then the two tackled each other, wrestling on their feet for a moment before Boruto lost his footing and they toppled over, Hōki landing on top of him.

Boruto just barely avoided another punch, getting his head out of the way just in time for Hōki to punch the hardwood flooring. Boruto heard a crack and a pained grunt come from him, but he used the opportunity to switch their positions. As soon as he was mounted on top of the cheating bastard, he slugged him hard, catching him right in his temple. It dazed Hōki for a few seconds, and Boruto would have left it at that, had it not been for Hōki fighting back the instant he recovered.

Unfortunately, Boruto was only able to get in one more punch before Shikadai had gotten through the hoard of people surrounding the pair. He was quick to wrap his arms around Boruto and pull him off of Hōki. Getting back to his dorm after that had been a blur to him. Shikadai was scolding him the entire time, but all Boruto was thinking about was Sarada.

She deserved to know.

.

.

.

Two days later, Boruto was sitting under a large oak tree, crunching some numbers for his dad while eating a late lunch. He'd gotten a new burger from Thunder Burger, it was a monster sandwich loaded with bacon and jalapeños—hot as hell, but so delicious he was finding it hard to concentrate on his task.

After demolishing the whole thing, Boruto wiped his hands on a napkin and bundled his trash in the takeout bag before returning his focus to the email he was typing up to Naruto on his phone. Once he sent it, he closed his laptop and sighed, supposing he should get up and move around after eating so much. Then he heard quick steps coming his way, each one crunching on the fallen leaves surrounding the area.

Turning his head to his left in the direction of the sound, Boruto felt his heart stutter to a halt at the sight of Sarada storming over to him. She looked… furious. Boruto probably should have expected this, but he didn't. He never considered her finding out about him getting into the fight with Hōki. He didn't think Hōki would tell her it was _him._ But one look at her and Boruto knew that's exactly what she'd come for. Accusation and disgust were marring her features, her delicate brows furrowed, hands balled into angry fists at her sides.

"Sarada," He greeted her calmly despite how much his heart ached. Did she know? Had she found out about Hōki? Was she mad that Boruto had interfered? Or was it only because he fought Hōki at all?

She didn't say his name or greet him back with words, but she did greet him with her fist. And _damn_ that girl could punch. Sarada landed a hit right below his eye. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!"

Boruto felt many things from getting punched and yelled at by Sarada of all people, but for the most part, he was impressed. She really was angry, still beautiful though. "I haven't done anything wrong. But go ahead, Sarada. Let me have it if it will make you feel better."

What he said had her reeling, dark eyes widening. Although she balled her fists at her side, she didn't hit him again. _Unfortunately_. "You don't just go around beating people up, Boruto! Why would you do that?!" Sarada was so angry, her cheeks were red. "He has never done _anything_ to you."

Boruto scoffed, unable to prevent himself from rolling his eyes. "You don't know everything, Sarada. But I don't go around just fighting people for no reason. Don't believe me, ask around." Of course, it was all his fault. Hōki was still innocent in her eyes.

"I did ask around," Sarada huffed. "And apparently, _you're_ what goes around."

"Fair enough, I have gotten around a bit." He admitted it with a sigh, even though he wasn't the same anymore, it wouldn't do him any good to try explaining himself to a girl that hated him. "But that has nothing to do with me fighting people. Guess you weren't asking the right questions."

"That isn't even—ugh!" She massaged her temples, looking more frustrated than anything else. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Now he can't play in the game later. Hōki has his scholarship to keep. Not everyone here can stay because they can afford it, you know?"

"You want me to apologize? Well fine, I'm sorry for upsetting you, but I'm not sorry for kicking his ass." Boruto wasn't going to lie to her. Maybe he'd withhold some truths, but lying was different.

"I-wh-to _me_?" Sarada wasn't making sense, confusion swimming in her eyes, not even knowing what to make of this conversation. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't even sure why she came here to look for him in the first place.

Boruto put his laptop away in his bag and gathered his things as he stood up, still caught up over the punch that had his face throbbing. "I get that you're mad at me. But one day… you might change your mind. Maybe you should ask him why it happened." He shook his head then, it was a sad idea. "Not that he'd ever tell you anyway."

He'd had enough of it all and a part of him was wishing he'd never gotten involved. For all he knew, Sarada could have been one of those people who'd deny being cheated on even if they watched it with their own eyes. He was out of line and maybe he shouldn't have confronted Hōki. He wasn't going to regret it though.

She looked at the grass under her feet and gritted her teeth. "I'll ask," Sarada said. "Just once." Her dark eyes met his blue ones with an intense gaze. "Why did you do it?"

Boruto wanted to tell her the whole truth, but he didn't want to cross any more boundaries either. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, contemplating his answer as he settled the strap on his bag over his shoulder.

"I did it because I believe in standing up for what's right… and he's wrong Sarada. Be mindful. Please." He didn't want to say more, she was a smart girl, she just needed a little eye-opener, and he hoped this was it.

.

.

.

The last thing he said really made Sarada think. Boruto was a complete stranger to her and yet here he was; apologizing for upsetting her, even after she punched him. For the life of her, she couldn't even remember why she sought him out in the first place.

It was the only thing on her mind when she saw her boyfriend the other day, though. His face beat up and his hand in bandages. He was hurt and in pain. Worse, he was crying about not being able to play.

When she asked what had happened, his roommate wouldn't say a thing. And that was weird, considering that guy was a chatterbox.

"I wasn't doing anything, babe. He just came right up to me and punched me."

It was surreal. Even if Sarada didn't know anything about Boruto, the person she spent her morning in the coffee shop did not seem like the type. Not at all. Boruto seemed nice. A little flirty but he didn't look like the kind of guy to go around picking fights.

When she asked around, the most recurring information she was getting that he was a _slut_. Surprised to know that a lot of her friends have had a night with him, too. Or at least, have been hit on by him.

That's what shook her judgment. Thinking that perhaps he was being nice because he thought Sarada would be an easy lay. Like everyone else.

But now that she was standing here, in front of him, he was looking so apologetic. Even… hurt. For _her_.

_Be mindful. Please._

What did he mean by that?

.

.

.

As the days and weeks passed, Sarada couldn't get what Boruto said to her out of her head. Or thoughts about him, for that matter. She kept seeing him at school, passing by him in the corridors and bumping into him at Ninbucks.

Sometimes they would talk, most times, just nod or wave. Other times, they wouldn't acknowledge each other at all.

Sarada felt bad, she never got to apologize for punching him. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted it. Especially with the way he looked at her, even offered to let her hit him some more if it would make her _feel_ better.

Her.

A stranger.

She opened up her phone, frowning as she read a text from her boyfriend, canceling on their dinner date. Again. It has been happening more and more lately. He would reply late, or brush her off whenever he didn't feel like going out. Saying he was tired from training or that he had something to study for.

_Be mindful. Please._

Boruto's voice refused to leave her head. What if he had a point?

It would be the second time Sarada felt something off with Hōki. The first time was when they were texting and he sent a message to her that was sweet but totally unrelated to their boring conversation about the annoying people in the student government.

And this would be the second. Hōki's roommate didn't say anything when her boyfriend told her that Boruto just assaulted him out of nowhere, even averting his gaze when Hōki said he wasn't doing anything wrong.

What if… Hōki was cheating on her?

The thought had her inhaling a deep breath.

No.

Hōki wouldn't do that to her. Their relationship wasn't perfect, and neither were they, but cheating was something they both would never do. Sarada believed with all her heart that Hōki loved her and she loved him, too.

She shook it off and texted him that it was fine. Having dinner by herself was no issue at all. Maybe some time alone would even do her good. She needed to stop being so negative and push the image of her boyfriend fucking a girl—who isn't her—out of her mind.

Slipping her university hoodie over her head and changing her shorts for a pair of jeans, Sarada took some cash and her keys, along with her phone and walked out of her dorm. It was getting cold, and maybe she should have dressed in something warmer but she had no plans to wander or stay out for too long anyway.

There was a strip of restaurants and Sarada ran into the first one she could get to as a cold wind blew. Even if it had been less than ten minutes of walking outside, it had her cheeks flushing, shivering by the smallest bit. Perhaps something hot to drink would be nice, but she had the misfortune of walking into Thunder Burger.

Great. Burgers and _cold_ soda for dinner. With a sigh, Sarada stuffed her hands in her pocket and looked at the menu board as she fell in line.

"Hey," A voice called right by her ear, startling her and she turned her head to see Boruto standing close behind her, a cheeky grin on his face. "You like Thunder Burger too, Sarada?"

Still recovering from her fright, her hand flew to her chest. "Boruto!" A grin spread on her face, heart feeling so much lighter. "Well, not really. But it was getting cold and I really needed to hide from the wind." It surprised her how honest she was. "I think it's fine, though. Are you having a burger for one tonight?" Her gaze looked around for his company, but there was no one behind him.

"Well, that would be boring. Burgers for two sounds pretty good." He replied, winking at her. "Come on, we can have our second date."

Heat pooled at her cheeks. " _Date_?" And _second_? "Excuse me, I don't recall ever agreeing to go out on a date with you," she scoffed but followed him to the counter anyway to order their food. Sarada simply brushed it off as Boruto's normal teasing. Besides, this wasn't really a date and she has a boyfriend.

One who should have been here with her tonight, but he wasn't. And yet, Boruto was here. She decided not to say another word on the matter, though and pushed Hōki to the back of her mind.

"What do you like Sarada? They have so many good burgers. I usually just tell them to surprise me." Boruto chuckled, looking from the menu to her.

Whenever those blue eyes of his gazed on her, Sarada always found herself struggling for words. "Umm… what do you recommend? Every time I eat here, I let Hōki order for me."

Again with Hōki. She wanted to forget him for the night but he kept coming up. Was it wrong for her to be here with the guy who beat him up? Was it the guilt? It's not like she _asked_ for Boruto to come. He just happened to be here.

Right. This is totally fine. Except Boruto said this was a _date_.

" _Everything,"_ Boruto replied excitedly. "But even the traditional burger is delicious. You can't go wrong with it."

"Then I'll have that," she replied quickly. Not wanting to hold the line.

Boruto nodded and placed their order for their burgers, fries, and soda and then paid for everything. He accepted their ticket and turned to her with a smile. "Where do you wanna sit?"

Her eyes wandered around and settled for a table hidden at the corner. "There's good." She took a few steps forward and then looked back at him. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. How much do I owe you?" She was so distracted with thoughts of Hōki that it slipped her mind to pay.

"Come on then." He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the table of her choosing, ignoring her question completely as he gestured to the seat for her to take.

Boruto's action took her by surprise, that blush back on her cheeks. "You didn't answer my question," she said, breath hitching when Boruto slid into the booth right next to her.

"I couldn't call it a date if I let you pay for yourself, could I?" He asked, giving her a smug look.

"There you go, calling it a date again." She rolled her eyes but smiled as she unwrapped her burger. "You didn't even ask me out." Sarada faked a gasp and leaned in, lowering her voice, "or did you follow me here?"

"I totally asked." Boruto huffed, still looking cheeky. "And I come here all the time—but I wouldn't mind following you one bit."

Her breath hitched at his come back, making her avert her gaze. Boruto was smooth, and now she fully understood why the girls were all over him. On top of his handsome features, he was also quite the charmer. "What a stalker," she muttered and took a bite of her burger.

"Only one of my many titles." He hummed as he unwrapped his burger as well. "This is a secret, just between us," he leaned closer and whispered, "but I'm also known as a coffee murderer."

Sarada's face turned a dangerous shade of red. Feeling his hot breath on her ear sent a shiver down her spine. She pushed his face away with her hand. "You're too close!"

When she looked at him, she realized she was touching the spot right where she had punched him. It was healed, no evidence of her violent streak on him at all. Her eyes softened, fingers stroking his cheek. "I'm sorry about that."

Boruto smiled softly at her and raised his hand, placing it over hers. "It's okay, Sarada. You don't have to apologize."

"No, I want to." She pressed. "I don't know why I even did that but…" Sarada averted her gaze, thoughts drifting back to her boyfriend. She sighed. "Never mind. Sorry."

"You were mad… and you thought I was the bad guy. I understand. The punch was the least of my worries." He breathed out a laugh and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "Forget about it, okay?"

A smile found its way on her lips. "I don't think I can, though." Her smile widened to a grin. "I know I said I'd only ask once but… what was Hōki really doing?" Her voice was so small, and truth be told, she was afraid to hear the truth. But now she knew Boruto wouldn't lie to her. Those clear blue eyes would give it all away. She looked intently at them as she held her breath and waited.

"Didn't you ask him?" Boruto asked quietly, food forgotten as he stared at her. "What did he have to say?"

"I did." She let go of the breath she was holding. "He told me you just attacked him out of nowhere. You weren't even drunk." She shrugged. Catching her slip, she added quickly. "Sorry, I also asked Shikadai. He wouldn't tell me either but confirmed that at least." Sarada picked up a fry and took a bite.

Pulling his hand back, Boruto sighed. "I had my reason. And if I could go back, I would do it again." He ate one of his fries as well and then had a sip of his soda. "I don't like it either, but it's between you and him, Sarada."

Her chest tightened and her stomach churned. She had a bad feeling about it. "Okay, fair. Can I ask you a different question?"

"Okay." Boruto agreed as he picked up his burger.

"You apologized back then. I mean, for upsetting me." She still couldn't wrap her mind around it. They weren't even friends at that time, they barely knew each other. "Why—why would you do that?"

Though the burger was at his mouth, Boruto didn't take a bite. He just lowered the burger back down, blinking at her in surprise. The question threw him off for a moment. "Well… because I—I don't want to see you hurt."

Sarada's heart skipped a beat. Her obsidian eyes locked on his.

There was nothing but the truth that shone in them.

.

.

.

His final semester of university was in full swing and Boruto was focused greatly on his courses and final exams that were closing in on him. Most of his friends had already graduated and moved on, leaving him bored most of the time, but they still made sure to keep in touch with him. Mitsuki and Shikadai did, anyway.

There were other people he would have liked to keep in touch with, but Boruto understood more than most that you didn't always get what you wanted. Sarada for example. She had graduated and moved on, without ever finding out about Hōki or breaking things off with him. She and Boruto had got along, the last time they saw each other it was on good terms, but now she was gone.

Boruto hadn't even thought much about her in a while, didn't think that she would even be brought to his attention again. But he received a surprise when he was lying in bed one night, receiving endless texts from his friends in a group chat they had.

 **Shinki:** You guys remember Rei Nara?

 **Shikadai:** Not my cousin.

 **Shinki:** I know, asshole. Listen, she's pregnant now.

_Boruto's eyes went wide. Rei? The volleyball girl?_

**Mitsuki:** didn't she sleep with Boruto?

 **Shikadai:** everyone did.

 **Shinki** : slut. Speaking of, who else did he sleep with?

 **Mitsuki:** I have a list.

Mitsuki began listing girls, and Shinki kept sending screenshots of where those girls were now. Most of them looked the same, others with jobs and some were together with new boyfriends. Or _girlfriends_. Damn. Boruto would have never known.

But there was one photo that Mitsuki sent that had Boruto sitting up.

 **Mitsuki:** look at what a little snake sent me Boruto

It was a photo of Sarada Uchiha. Wearing a little black dress, leaning on a bar, a drink in her hand. Her raven hair had grown, one side tucked behind her ear. This time, she wasn't wearing her glasses. She looked as gorgeous as he had remembered her, but it was the caption that had him reeling.

_Single Ladies' Night!_

**Shinki:** You never fucked her… DID YOU?!

 **Shikadai:** Wtf. I work with her. She's been single for a while now.

Boruto almost screamed, but he settled for screaming at his 'friend' through the chat.

 **Boruto:** Are you fucking kidding me, _bro?_ You DARE to tell me _now_ that you're working with Sarada and SHE'S FUCKING SINGLE?!

 **Shikadai:** You are SUCH a good friend. We work for your FATHER, remember?

 **Boruto:** I know that! Well, I knew about you, but not Sarada. You fucking bastard! When did she break up with the jerk?

 **Shikadai:** Dude. HE broke up with her. She didn't even come to work for two days and it was the office gossip for a week.

Boruto was in such a state of shock that he could only gape at his phone for the next several minutes. Shikadai couldn't be serious—and yet, he wasn't one to lie, especially about things like that. He was pissed. It _hurt_ to know that she had never left him when he deserved to suffer such a precious loss. Instead, he'd left her, broken her heart and Boruto _really_ wanted to kick his ass again.

Shikadai kept on texting, sending more details. Shinki and Mitsuki barely added to the conversation, just sending GIFs and reactions. Shikadai even jokingly offered to set Boruto up with Sarada but he ignored it because he got a text from his dad.

It was long, explaining some things but what really caught his attention was his father offering him a job in his company.

.

.

.

Boruto's excitement was barely containable as he readied himself for his first day of work at his father's company. He dressed in one of his best suits, sprayed a little of his favorite cologne and then left early enough to stop by Ninbucks on his way in. He had a feeling he may just be lucky enough to run into a certain black-haired beauty.

When he walked in, he spotted her by the counter, placing her order. Luck was definitely on his side and _damn_ he wasn't prepared to see her dressed in such a professional and yet sexy way. Boruto had a thing for pencil skirts. He really had a thing for heels. But most of all, he had a thing for Sarada.

He waited until she had gotten her coffee to walk over to her, not thinking twice before bumping into her purposely and slaughtering her coffee. It was liberating, seeing that gorgeous face twist in shock, her pretty mouth gaping open as she stared at the coffee on the floor. Perhaps she had become even more beautiful since the last time he saw her. Boruto collected some napkins and quickly knelt down in front of her to take care of her legs. Yet again, no stockings.

"I'm sorry about that." He said even though he couldn't fight his smile as he peeked up at her.

She looked ready to scold him, but her anger evaporated the moment she saw his blue, _blue_ eyes. "Boruto?" Sarada gaped, hands covering her mouth.

"Hm. I really thought you were going to call me something else…" he smirked, feeling up her smooth leg as he stood up slowly. "Nice legs, by the way."

Sarada scoffed and stepped away from the spill. "You haven't changed one bit." Boruto wasn't sure if she was referring to his looks or his cheekiness. But he got his confirmation shortly when she added, "Still a coffee murderer."

"There it is." He laughed and stepped over the mess to stand next to her. "Well, I guess I owe you a replacement… and breakfast."

"Make that for two." Sarada grinned. "And this makes it what? Our third date?"

Boruto smiled wide and nodded happily. "Glad you remember. The third, yes. We can have our fourth later today."

She giggled and led him to the cashier. "Over lunch?"

"Yeah," he nodded again. "And then we can have dinner for our fifth date… not that we're counting though."

Sarada smirked. "Right. Who needs to count? It's not like you're actually asking."

"I am… and you're not turning me down, so make sure you're free for me." He winked and then looked to the cashier waiting to take their order. "Does princess want a muffin?"

Sarada's cheeks burned, and it looked even lovelier on her than he remembered. "I'm free now," she muttered shyly. "And yes, I'll have a muffin, please."

"You were free, but now you're mine," Boruto said tauntingly, but his smile was warm and soft. "Strawberry?"

She went on her tiptoes, leaning closer to look into his eyes. "You meant that." It wasn't a question. "Strawberries are good."

"Of course I meant it. And I know… you got strawberry on our first date."

Sarada leaned back as she bit her lower lip. "Even I don't remember that." She said, with a small smile on her face.

"Well, I do. I remember everything." He told her before placing their order and paying the quiet cashier who kept looking between them. Then Boruto took her hand and pulled her aside with him to wait on their food and coffee. "I can't lie, it was pretty great killing your coffee again."

Although Sarada gasped and hit his chest lightly, a wide grin was on her face. "I can't believe you did that! Oh wait, I can." She laughed. "You haven't changed."

Boruto scoffed playfully at that and pretended to straighten his perfectly placed tie. "Whatever, I'm a businessman now, totally changed."

"No more picking fights with people, huh?" She laughed. "Which company? Near here?"

"I never pick fights." Boruto huffed, moving to collect their food and coffees when their order was called out. He handed Sarada's over and then went on speaking as they sat at a table together, "yeah, it's close. Ichiraku Ramen Corp."

"What?" She gaped. "I work there! Wait, which position?"

"Depends. Which is your favorite? We can start there." Boruto gave her a long and suggestive once over, licking his lips and thinking she was much more appealing than any other meal he'd ever had.

Sarada's face turned a deep shade of red "I-I didn't mean it like that!" Her hands covered her face, peeking at him through her fingers. "We haven't even had our fourth date yet and you're already being this forward," she mumbled.

"Well, we've wasted enough time, don't you think?" He asked, smiling at how adorable she looked—all beet red and trying to hide. "I don't want to waste anymore, Sarada. How about you?"

She folded her hands on her lap and bit her lower lip. "I suppose we have. It's not good to waste good opportunities, right?"

"Oh, I don't believe in shit like that anymore." He admitted as he opened his sandwich. "I've made my fair share of mistakes, and I don't intend to repeat them."

"I guess you _have_ changed after all." She nodded, a kind smile on her face. "I've learned to listen to my instincts a little more, and something tells me we will be a good thing."

Boruto hummed as he chewed and then swallowed. "And we'll be spending _so much_ time together. It's gonna be lots of fun."

She stopped mid-bite. "What? Wait. You never told me what position you got in Ichiraku. I'm in marketing."

"I know, Princess. Starting today, I'm gonna be your boss." He smiled and then had a sip of his coffee.

The muffin fell from her hand. "My… _what_?"

" _Your boss,"_ Boruto repeated, picking up her muffin and holding it out for her. "Don't worry, we'll work more than we play. Probably."

Sarada still hasn't recovered, mouth opened and closing like a fish out of water. "I-you-my—" Boruto always had a way of making her forget her words around him. " _Damn_." She breathed, eyes glued to his.

"Glad you're as eager as me, Princess." Boruto chuckled, grabbing her hand and turning it over to place the muffin in it. "Better eat. If you're late to work, your boss may punish you."

Sarada rolled her eyes, smiling at him before taking a bite. "It's okay. I have a feeling my boss would be soft on me." She winked.

She was right about that, though he knew he wouldn't be soft _all_ the time. Boruto was thankful for how everything worked out, even if they'd both gone through hell to get where they were now. This was only their third date, but there were many more to come. They were just getting started, really, but neither one of them were going to hold back. They both knew exactly what they wanted and just how to go about getting it.

Boruto knew without a doubt that Sarada was the girl he'd marry one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gotta tell ya, fam. While Tyy and I were writing this, I told her I liked this scenario better. Hahaha! It was such a nice change of pace to write them not being in denial and just being so open to their feelings. If only they didn't go through their traumas for the canon chapters or went to the same university. :(
> 
> Cheers,  
> Kairi and Tyy


	33. Meet The Uchihas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are back to canon chapters!

Turns out Valentine's Day wasn't such a bitch after all.

Okay so, the day was crappy, but the night was more than Boruto could have ever hoped for. He was worried about Sarada getting sick and fussed at her about it several times before he finally let it go.

He didn't want to fuss too much—he was too happy for that.

She baked him strawberry cheesecake and _oh_ it was delicious. Almost as good as her. She waited for him so long and he could see how much she missed him. It felt good to know that she still wanted him around her. She didn't want to let him go and he didn't want to have to miss her anymore.

Life wasn't the same without her. It was crazy. It hadn't taken her long at all to wedge her a place in his life—a big place. Boruto didn't think he would ever be so infatuated with someone. Then Sarada had stormed into his life and made him feel and think all these things.

She was the cause of so much frustration.

But she made him happy.

The thought of her suffering loneliness without him around made him more determined to keep her in his life. It was obvious she was the one for him. A true friend. Somebody he was completely at ease with. Boruto felt lucky to have her in his life, even though they weren't together. He didn't need a title or a confession to be content.

They spent the entire weekend together, not wanting to part from each other any sooner than they had to. Monday, however, came much sooner than they would have liked and it was back to work for them. It was _normal_ now though, the stress and the uncomfortable atmosphere are gone and replaced with the easy and natural environment they had before.

Boruto wasn't avoiding Sarada and she wasn't avoiding him. Their professionalism never faltered, at least not while there were others around and work was _work,_ but they were free now. Always smiling, always finding each other's gazes. Normal stuff that anybody would do with a friend.

On Wednesday, Naruto called Boruto to his office and he knew he was walking in to hear news about his future and Sarada's too. He wasn't nervous and he was sure his dad would have everything worked out. It was for the good of everyone.

"Dad?" He called as he poked his head into the office, walking in right after. Naruto was at his desk as usual, finishing up a phone call and Boruto took a seat to wait. He could be patient. Sometimes. "I assume you have news for me?" He asked as soon as Naruto hung up the phone.

"Yes," Naruto sighed. "Two months, son. That's the best I can do. You can start turn over in March but we won't be announcing it until April, and you can leave a few weeks after it. Konohamaru will take care of finishing her offer up, and we will expect your resignation letter to formalize."

That was longer than he hoped but he supposed it couldn't be helped. At least he knew what he was looking at now. "Fine. No sense in arguing about it." He knew he wouldn't get anywhere.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief. Good thing his son didn't fuss about it anymore. He was also in an unusually good mood… "anything interesting over the weekend, Boruto? You didn't come by the house."

"I was with Sara—I was at home. I didn't feel like leaving the house. More thrillers and beer. Lots of beer. And junk food." He just couldn't keep his mouth shut. It was truly a curse.

"Ah," Naruto grinned. "I see you made up." He rested his head on his palm, still grinning at Boruto.

"Made what up?" Boruto huffed, averting his eyes. "I never made anything up."

Naruto laughed teasingly and straightened up. "Don't tell Sarada yet until we work out her package. You can also have a look at it before we show her."

That was easier said than done. "No problem," Boruto grumbled, reminding himself not to do any word vomiting. "Is that it then?"

"Business as usual until March 1." Naruto nodded. "Oh!" He perked up. "Your mother wants to know your plans for your birthday. I think she wants to cook for you. Why not invite Sarada?"

 _Invite Sarada?_ "That's… it's so far away. And I don't know… let's not get hasty or anything." He stood up and quickly shuffled to the door. "I'll call Mom later."

Naruto watched him leave his office and picked up his phone, texting his wife that things were finally okay for Boruto.

The rest of the week was as normal as it could be and even though Boruto was with Sarada every morning and every night, he'd somehow managed to keep the word vomit down. He was starting to think he could keep the secret and that made him proud of himself.

He was staying over late but hadn't let himself stay the night, at least until the next weekend came around. Somehow it had come up between them and decided he would stay over with her. He was really looking forward to another calm and wonderful weekend with her, only this time they would be at her place instead of his.

Friday night, they went out for dinner and then lazed around on her couch, watching TV and cuddling close, not wanting to get cold. They really just wanted to be close all the time.

It was normal. For _friends_.

They slept in Saturday morning, even Boruto. When they finally dragged themselves out of bed, Boruto cooked breakfast and they sipped coffee, chatting about Inojin's crush on Himawari that Boruto was far from happy about. The conversation dragged on as they ate, Sarada giggling every time Boruto muttered a complaint.

He didn't want to think about Inojin and Himawari like that, much less talk about it, so as soon as he finished eating, he shut her up with a kiss. Sarada didn't mind one bit, in fact, she took him by surprise with the way she threw her arms around him and kissed him back so eagerly. It was the kind of kiss that was quick to progress, especially when Sarada was taking things further, nails raking up his back as she pulled up his shirt.

The shirt dropped to the floor and Boruto cradled her face with his hands, tilting his head as their tongues met excitedly. It was starting to get hot and Boruto's brain wasn't working right anymore. He was focused solely on what was about to happen.

Then a knock sounded on the door.

Boruto tore his lips away from Sarada's with a growl, brows narrowing in annoyance. _Who the hell is that?_ If it was Kagura, Boruto was undoubtedly going to lose his shit.

"I'll get it," He said, hating to be interrupted. The sooner he opened the door, the sooner he could send whoever it was on their way.

Or so he thought.

When Boruto opened the door, standing on the other side were Sarada's parents. At first, Boruto didn't even notice her mother, too busy staring at her father's face, swallowing hard at the glower he was receiving. His heart stopped completely and he felt as if all the blood in his body was draining.

Holy shit.

Nobody prepared him for this.

_Meet the parents of his not girl?_

Oh shit no. Boruto wasn't ready.

"Are you going to stand there like an idiot or let us in?" Sasuke asked, his tone smooth but terrifying at the same time.

Boruto's heart started working again, double time. "S-Sorry." He stepped back, wishing he was anywhere else in the world. Wishing he hadn't gotten the door. Wishing he hadn't been so close to getting naked not even a moment before.

"Boruto?" Sarada called from the living room. "Who was at the door—Papa!" She screeched.

Sakura came right behind Sasuke and even gave him a warm smile and wave before entering the home. "Darling, we brought food." Calm and cheerful, yet Boruto felt like she was worse than Sasuke.

"Mama!" Hurried footsteps came to her, and Sarada took the large container in her hands. "W-why didn't you call me to say you and p-papa were coming?" She looked just as surprised and frightened as Boruto did.

Shit.

"Oh, we were so worried," Sakura said, moving things around her kitchen. "You didn't call or text and you were so upset the last time we left you. Your father wanted to cancel our trip and stay with you during Valentine's, you know?"

Boruto watched them from the edge of the living room and paled when Sasuke picked up his discarded shirt on the floor and gave him an icy look. "Is this yours?"

All eyes went to the shirt, and then to Boruto. He'd never been so mortified before in his life. "Yes, sir." He said nervously and took his shirt back, quickly putting it on.

Coming back to her senses, Sarada stood next to Boruto and formally introduced him. "Mama, Papa, this is Boruto. My… friend." She then looked at Boruto and quickly added, "My parents. Sasuke and Sakura."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. Sakura grinned at him and said something sweet.

It was confusing.

"Umm…" Sarada hooked her arm in his and pulled him into her room. "We'll just get changed, make yourself at home!"

"Okay, Sarada," Sakura sang before Sarada shut her door.

"Shit, Sarada." Boruto groaned. "This is bad. This is so bad. Not the first impression I would have liked to make… or the second."

Wait… why was he freaking out? Surely it wasn't that big of a deal.

No, it was. It definitely was.

"Oh my god, he fucking hates me." He whined, grabbing Sarada by her arms and shaking her in his panic. If Sasuke didn't approve of him, he wouldn't have a chance with Sarada.

Not that he wanted a chance or anything, but he should at least have the option.

Sarada cradled his face between her hands and made him look at her. "Stop it, it's not helping!" Her dark eyes were just as panicked as his, but she took a deep breath and sighed. "My parents aren't even that scary." She paused and pursed her lips. "Yeah, okay, no. They're scary. But they'll like you!" Sarada bit her lower lip and groaned. "I just really wish it wasn't today." She slumped on the bed with him and leaned. "The last time they were over I was crying… my papa can hold a grudge. Mama… is happy as long as I am."

"Crying why? Hold a grudge? What does it have to do with me?" He panicked even more.

Sarada groaned. "Because you're so annoying!" She got up on her feet and started looking for clothes to put on. "Hurry and get changed!"

Boruto frowned, not wanting to let it go but deciding to so he could get dressed. He opted for a pair of jeans and a pink button-down, casual but decent enough to hopefully make him more presentable and maybe even make Sasuke forget how he found him.

_But he was a grudge holder._

Sarada got changed into a turtleneck sweater dress. It hung to her knees and looked ridiculously cute on her. Cute enough for Boruto to forget how much shit he was in. But then Sarada pulled him back out of her room and made him stand face to face with the man who more than likely wanted him dead. He was too nervous to say anything.

This never happened to him before. Part of him wanted to bolt, but the majority of him just wanted her parents not to hate him. He really wasn't so bad, at least he didn't think so.

Sakura was in the kitchen, heating up the food they brought and Sarada went over to help her, leaving Boruto to sit at the table, across Sasuke. He was so nervous he'd started sweating and he found it impossible to stare the older man in his eye. Boruto wasn't good at these things, it seemed. He couldn't keep his mouth shut around his own father, so to have to talk to Sarada's… he was already one foot in the grave.

Maybe if he could shift the focus away from himself, everything would be okay. "Um, w-what kind of work do you do Mr. Uchiha?" He asked hesitantly. It seemed like a safe enough topic, but that didn't scare him any less.

Sasuke fixed Boruto with a hard stare, not answering for a long moment, giving him time to sweat some more. "I work with the Konoha police division as a Forensic investigator." He finally said, turning amused when Boruto paled even worse.

 _Impressive._ What did he expect from Sarada's father?

"Wow." He cleared his throat and fiddled with his thumbs in his lap. "Very important work." He commented lamely.

"And you… you're Sarada's _boss_?"

Sasuke said it as if it was far from a good thing and Boruto stiffened in his seat. "Y-yes, sir." He stuttered, mentally cursing himself with every passing second. "That's true…"

Sasuke leaned back in his seat, never taking his eyes off the fidgeting blond. "How was the hiring process? Any roadblocks?"

"Oh no, it wasn't bad at all." He smiled, trying not to let his nervousness show. It was far too late for that though.

"Hn." Sasuke sipped his water and muttered under his breath, "I wonder why."

Sakura came back with plates and set them down on the table, making another trip back for utensils. Boruto quickly got up to set the table properly, wanting to make himself useful and hopefully get out of being roasted by Sasuke. Once he finished with the plates, he went after Sakura to collect the utensils and didn't take his seat again until the table was ready.

Sakura put down a potholder in the middle of the table and Sarada came out wearing oven mitts, carrying a glass container full of lasagna, setting it right on the potholder.

"Careful, it's hot," Sakura told the boys, as she took her seat next to her husband.

Sarada sat down next to Boruto and placed a serving utensil on the lasagna, her finger accidentally touching the edge of the pan. She let out a short scream and withdrew her hand, the utensil clanking on the table. Boruto's heart lurched into his throat and he quickly grabbed her hand to examine it. Her pretty finger was already red and it broke his heart to see it. He raised it to his mouth, placing a soft kiss just over the burn.

"Are you okay?" He asked, voice filled with concern.

Sarada blushed, pupils blown wide. She didn't withdraw her hand from his hold, or say anything. She only nodded her head. Boruto kept her hand in his, and rested it on his lap. As soon as he turned to face her parents, they were looking at each other.

Sakura had a small smile on her face, and Sasuke was still impassive but nowhere near half as cold.

"Do you need me to take a look at it, dear?" Sakura asked her daughter.

"I'm fine, thank you." Sarada was still blushing, and leaned over to Boruto to tell him, "My mom's a Doctor."

 _Family of overachievers._ "Wow, that's amazing, Mrs. Uchiha." Boruto smiled. "Are you sure she shouldn't look at it, Sarada?"

She smiled at him. "You already kissed it better."

Boruto's heart skipped a beat and his eyes brightened. "Okay… if you're sure." He smiled almost shyly and then looked over to find Sakura cooing at them and Sasuke looking scary again.

"I'm fine," Sarada assured. "Let's eat."

Face flaming red, Boruto immediately turned his attention to his food, saying his thanks before digging in. If his mouth was full, surely he couldn't embarrass himself anymore. Sakura was an excellent cook and she seemed so sweet—even appearing to take a liking to him which truly relieved the blond.

Why, he didn't know. It wasn't like he was trying to get close to them or anything.

.

.

.

Sarada's parents were not in any rush to leave. Boruto's nerves were still high and he'd poured himself into cleaning after their lunch, trying to keep himself busy. Their visit made him so anxious that he seriously considered leaving, but he couldn't. Sarada wouldn't want that, probably. After lunch, the four of them sat in the living room together, exchanging small talk that ultimately led to them learning more about each other.

Boruto didn't like it. He feared that everything he said would be wrong, and he was stuttering way too much, but they hadn't sent him packing yet and Sasuke hadn't killed him. The man was terrifying and Boruto knew with him being a forensic investigator that he could definitely get rid of his body and make it where no one would ever find him.

They talked about dinner plans and Boruto was nervous once again, having no choice but to agree to go out to the restaurant of their choosing. He could do this.

He was going to do this.

For some reason, Sarada seemed even more flustered than him. Once they were out and about, he found himself having to grab onto her hand, remind her to watch her steps and even chide her softly a few times. It wasn't like her to be such a scatterbrain, but it amused him.

She was always most perfect when she wasn't even close to being.

That's when she really drove him crazy with all those damn not feelings.

He hated it.

Sarada was all off-balance, not even able to stop fumbling with her overly large purse. _What the hell could be in there anyway?!_ Boruto sighed as he swiped the thing to carry it for her and _shit_ it weighed a ton. The thing had to have some of everything inside of it.

"Are you crazy, carrying this thing around?" He huffed, taking her hand once more and tugging her closer to his side. He leaned his head down until her onyx eyes flicked over to meet his gaze. "What's going on in that head of yours today?" He asked, clicking his tongue even though he knew.

He just needed to pretend he was okay.

Sarada clung on to him and shook he head. She really wasn't her normal self, and Boruto felt bad seeing her so stressed. He laughed lightly and moved closer to gently rub their noses together in a soft and sweet Eskimo kiss. His blue eyes stared down at her, full of tender affection and mild amusement.

"Smile for me."

Her cheeks reddened, but her face did break out into a big smile. She leaned on him and thanked him quietly. "I'm sorry they ambushed you."

"I'm sorry I wasn't prepared," He grumbled with a nervous laugh, but he supposed things were going well considering. "Swear I can feel your dad glaring at me every second though. He's scary."

She giggled. "Papa always does this. He's overprotective. You should meet my uncles, though."

"Are you saying they're worse?" Boruto frowned worriedly, holding her hand a little tighter. "Though I suppose I'm glad you have them looking out for you. Wouldn't want you getting tangled up with anyone else."

_Wait, what?_

Sarada looked away, surprised with what he said last. "Do you mean that?"

 _Absolutely._ "I uh… I mean, ya know… you can't um…" he felt his neck heating up and couldn't help but turn his head away from her. "Is it a bad thing?"

"I don't think so," she muttered, and then shuddered from the cold. They'd been walking in the snow for a while, but they were coming closer to the restaurant that Sakura wanted to eat in.

Boruto frowned at realizing she was cold and they still had a couple of minutes of walking left. He released her hand to instead wrap his arm around her, holding her close enough to share his warmth with her.

"Almost there, Princess."

Sarada clung on and walked right by him, feeling shy that her parents were right behind them, but also not wanting to let go of Boruto.

Sakura cooed and held on to her husband's hand tighter. "I have never seen her like this with her other boyfriends, Sasuke-kun. They're so cute together!"

"Boruto is not Sarada's boyfriend," he replied quickly.

"You caught him without a shirt on. What do you think they were doing?" She asked smugly.

Sasuke's breath hitched and his eyes narrowed further on the blond holding tight to his daughter. "Nothing if he knows what's best for him." He scoffed.

She giggled and leaned into him. "Oh, darling. You say that like you're any better."

And he wasn't. But he wasn't going to admit that. "Hn."

Finally, they arrived at the restaurant and were taken to a table. Boruto helped Sarada remove her coat after setting her purse down, letting it rest on the back of the chair which he pulled out for her. After she was settled, he removed his own coat and took his seat next to her, taking her hand to hold, finding it as cold as he expected.

Boruto took pride in warming her up.

"I've never been here before. It seems nice." He commented casually, smiling as he looked over to the parents.

Sakura smiled at him and picked up the menu. "They have good sushi here, as well as other rolls. Do you like steak?"

"I love steak and I haven't had a big variety of sushi before… what do you recommend?" He asked excitedly.

Her green eyes lit up. "Oh, I have a few."

Sarada shook her head, an amused smile on her face. She whispered to Boruto, "she's going to order half the things on the menu. I hope you're hungry."

"Oh, I love to eat." He grinned and nudged her with his elbow playfully. "We gotta make sure you eat well most of all though."

Sarada nudged him back. "Stop making me fat."

"No way, you need some meat on your bones. Then maybe you won't be so cold." He mused, poking at her tummy.

She shied away from him and held on to his hand to stop him from poking her. "Alright, alright."

When the food arrived, Sarada hadn't been joking one bit. Sakura ordered four plates of different roles and sushi and a large rack of ribs. There was also salad and rice. It all looked so good and Boruto was admittingly excited to try new things, including the house sake. It was the best Boruto ever had and he was surprised when Sasuke ordered some as well. Maybe they could get along...

He drank slowly while sampling different sushis and watching Sarada eat happily. It always pleased him to know she was eating properly, even when she was eating weird things like chicken and waffles. Her cheeks were rosy, dark eyes sparkling with every delicious bite and Boruto soon found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her—not even with her father fixing him with a cold stare.

Boruto was completely infatuated with his not girl, she was special after all. He couldn't resist being close to her, never hesitated to wipe her mouth for her or tuck her hair behind her ear when it threatened to get in the way. He really loved her hair. Anyone would, it smelled so good, felt so silky smooth. He often played with it, enjoying doing so just as much as she did.

Even though he wasn't expecting to meet Sarada's parents so soon—or ever, because he'd never even thought about it—Boruto had a surprisingly good day. Flustered and nervous as he was, he still felt at ease with them and was sure they didn't quite mind him being around.

No matter how Sasuke acted.

It was a good day and once they returned to Sarada's apartment, they bid her parents goodbye. They had planned to visit for longer, but Sakura was quick to announce they were not needed and Boruto was pleased to know that she accepted him, even giving him a warm hug before she left.

Sasuke just gave him a look, as frightening as any of them. Scared or not, Boruto knew he had to prove himself, for no reason other than his own pride, surely. He swallowed hard and extended his hand to the older man, locking his eyes with those that mirrored Sarada's.

"It was a pleasure to meet you both officially," Boruto said, blushing slightly at remembering the first night he'd seen Sasuke.

When he'd had to kiss Sarada's forehead instead of her lips.

And then run.

"Hn. Make sure you're properly dressed next time."

The blood drained from Boruto's face at that and he faked a laugh, heart pounding as Sasuke gripped his hand firmly. He may have been sweating a bit, but he didn't back down and he squeezed Sasuke's hand back just as firmly, staring into his hard black eyes.

"I just want to take care of her, ya know?" Boruto told him honestly, speaking softly so as not to be overheard.

Sasuke looked at him for a while and then nodded once, slowly. "I'm counting on you, then. Thank you."

Heart soaring and face showing his relief and elation at Sasuke's response, Boruto nodded quickly. He joined Sarada at the door, the pair waving them off. Until they were pulling out of the driveway. Then Boruto slammed the door and dragged Sarada into his arms.

She owed him big time for this.


	34. Unsettling Matters

Now that her parents were gone, she could breathe easily. Although it was stressful, she was happy that they both warmed up to Boruto, and her Papa made no move to murder Boruto on the spot, too. Her papa was protective, and she liked introducing her friends to him so he wouldn't worry about who she was hanging out with. Her mama warmed up fairly quickly to Boruto, even teasing her about him.

The way Boruto hugged her when they were gone relieved her. She knew he was just as stressed—if not more—as she was. It was horrible, to be ambushed by her parents, just when they were in the middle of not so wholesome activities. But he pushed through, had good conversations with them, and even had a drink with her papa.

As promised, he stayed the night with her, and they went out for breakfast the following day, did some shopping for groceries and he bought her a light pink sweater, teasing her that she had to stay warm more often. In return, she bought him a hot pink one. He loved it and kept talking about wearing it on Monday, along with the tie she got him for Christmas.

Things were looking up.

Until Monday hit, and she heard a new rumor going around, one that she didn't appreciate too much.

"Hey, Sarada," Shikadai strolled to her desk, hands in his pockets. He had a cigarette tucked upon his ear, and she could hear him playing with his lighter inside his pocket. "I got some news for you, and I don't know if you'll like it. Thought you might want to hear it before I go and tell Boruto."

"Hey," She smiled. "Out for a smoke? What is it?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I figured I'll need one after telling Boruto. Or might tell him while I'm outside. I can already hear him screaming." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Oh. This didn't sound good.

"What is it?" Her brows pulled together.

"Well… People have noticed you guys are friends again and they're saying you'll be up for a promotion because of it." He shrugged. "Not so bad, if you think about it, but I don't think a lot of people are happy for you."

Sarada rolled her eyes. "Since when are people happy for others getting promoted if it isn't them?" Seriously. Some people really needed to stop being so toxic. "And a promotion? Really? I just had one."

"Seeing how chummy you two are again, people are saying this will be bigger, you know?" Shikadai then held his hands up. "I mean, I know you get shit done. You always do. People know it. It just adds another reason for them to be jealous, I guess."

"Who're even saying these things?" Sarada was really getting fed up with all of this. "And who said I would even get a promotion?"

"Finance got a request from Konohamaru for a quotation request. Confidential stuff, so that's all I know."

Sarada sighed. "Geez, it could be for anyone. Besides, I just asked for an extra headcount, that might be it."

Shikadai shrugged and started strolling away. "Yeah, just be careful, alright?"

She pouted. She was always careful. And people really needed to shut up about things. If the quotation was really confidential, whoever leaked it would be in big trouble.

Later that evening, Boruto was pouting by the time he came by her table to bring her home.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, a small smile on her face as she packed up. "You're pouting again. That'll start to be permanent if you don't stop, you know?" Not that she would complain. He looked so cute.

"I'm _not_ pouting." He argued weakly, only pouting worse.

Looking around and seeing no one in sight, she touched his lower lip with her index finger and grinned at him. "Yes, I suppose you're not."

"Definitely not." He huffed, opening his mouth to nip at her finger.

Sarada giggled, and let him bite on her finger as she finished packing up. "You could be pouting much more than you are now."

"I'm not pouting." He groaned and then kissed her finger when she didn't pull it away.

Finished up gathering her belongings, she walked around her desk and followed him out of the office, keeping a safe distance between them until they got to the parking lot. He opened the door for her and she settled in, putting her seatbelt on and waiting for Boruto to start the car. He wasn't speaking, he only took her hand in his and rested it on his lap as he drove straight to his house.

Sarada didn't speak as well. Silence with Boruto was always comfortable but she knew he wasn't okay. Something was bothering him and she wasn't sure if she should ask about it or not. Once they arrived, Boruto opened her door for her and helped her out. He picked up her bags and opened the door for her, letting her come in first.

Again, not saying anything.

At first, she thought it was about the gossip Shikadai mentioned, but for him to be this quiet, it was probably more.

"I'll go get dinner ready," she said, removing her shoes. "You can go get changed."

"Okay. I think I'll shower." Boruto said, looking at her for a moment as if debating something before he walked away.

"Okay," Sarada gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and a soft smile before heading into the kitchen. She opened the pantry and took a few ingredients before opening up the fridge and taking the vegetables out. Cooking for Boruto was always a delight for her, and since he had been so pouty, she thought of making something a little more comforting for him. Baked chicken with cheese and vegetables was always good, even if it would take a little longer than usual to prepare.

While the chicken baked, she set the table and checked if there was anything in the fridge she could use for dessert, and felt sad there was none. She made a mental note to go grocery shopping for him the following day, not liking how empty his fridge was looking, save for some eggs and bacon.

Sarada heard him coming back out of his bedroom, hair damp and wearing joggers and… a shirt. She grumbled internally, half wishing he kept the shirt off. He was still pouting. "Feeling okay?" she asked casually, not wanting to upset him further by prodding.

"Yeah, great. Want me to keep an eye on things while you change?" He asked as he walked over to her.

"Yes, please," she smiled before disappearing into his room. As usual, rummaging through his drawers for something to wear. It was nice that he let her wear whatever she wanted, and usually, Sarada went for the oversized sweaters—even if everything Boruto owned was oversized for her—she still liked to choose the bigger ones so she could opt not to put on shorts. Settling for another university sweater, Sarada padded out back into the kitchen and found Boruto leaning on the kitchen counter, staring at the oven.

She smirked and stood next to him, hips brushing. "If you're thinking this hard, I'm afraid to ask what's going on."

"Hm? What… nothing is going on." He looked at her, his pout still prominent, brows furrowed. "Why do you think something is going on?"

"I don't know," Sarada responded, and wrapped her arms around his waist and looked at his blue, blue eyes. "I'm just worried about you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"It? There is no _it_." He denied it quickly but embraced her in return, blinking slowly as he met her gaze. "Is there an it?"

Her brows shot up and she couldn't help but smile in amusement at his incessant talking. "When you say it like that it makes me think there is." She rested her head on his chest, worry doubling when she heard his heart pounding fast and hard against his chest. "Is it about what Shikadai said?"

"He said something to you?" Boruto stiffened, arms tightening their hold on her.

Sensing his tenseness, she kept her voice soft and collected. "Just some gossip about me getting a promotion because I'm sleeping with my boss," she laughed. "Nothing out of the usual."

"I'll kill his ass." Boruto spat. "I will find out who's behind this… _rumor_."

Sarada laughed and hugged him tighter. It was definitely an unsettling rumor, but she tried her best not to think about it. "I think they saw my request for extra headcount and thought that was for me," she replied casually. "I just got a promotion, besides," she pulled back and grinned at him. "If you are giving me a raise, then I won't reject it."

His eyes darkened slightly and he smiled. "I bet you won't." He hummed, loosening his hold to rub her back instead. "It's really nothing to worry about, though. Okay? I won't let anybody talk down on any of your achievements."

Sarada leaned into him again and sighed, feeling a lot better. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

"I know…" Boruto said then, his voice barely a whisper and trailing off as if thinking deeply about something.

Even if she couldn't see his face, she knew. "You're still pouting." She tickled his back, satisfied that he jumped at her touch, disrupting his sulking.

"Hey!" He whined, pushing at her hands. "That's not funny!"

Sarada laughed and released her hold of him to check on their dinner. "It so is." Satisfied with the color, she took his oven mitts and pulled it out of the oven, walking over to the table to place it down and prepare for their meal.

.

.

.

"It huuuurts," Chocho whined and slumped over her desk, one hand holding on to a hot bottle on her stomach. "Why don't we have period leaves? This isn't fair!"

Inojin rolled his eyes and placed the lollipop back in his mouth, picking up his pen tablet and drawing another mockup. "Get over it, Chubbs. Shouldn't you be used to it by now? Happens every month, right?"

Chocho growled at him. "When _you_ get _your_ period, I'd like to see you get _used_ to it!" She screamed.

"Glad I'll never get it, then," Inojin snickered.

Sarada took in a deep breath and winced at the oncoming cramp, a little more painful this time. She and Chocho were period sisters, and even though she didn't like people knowing that she had her period, she couldn't help but join her colleague in complaining today. "I know what you mean," she agreed. "Mine's being weird. More painful and heavier than usual."

Inojin ignored them but couldn't help but mutter under his breath that they usually used it as an excuse to bitch at him.

Too bad Chocho heard him. "Try having a _uterus_!"

Sarada snickered at Inojin's mortified expression, probably imagining how bad his life would be if he did. "I'll leave making babies to the women, okay?" he held his hands up and went back to work.

Thankful that the day wasn't so hectic for her, but also agreed with Chocho about having period leaves. This one left her feeling far more lethargic than usual, and the heavier than usual flow really put her off, using more pads than she normally needed.

Sensing her discomfort, Boruto offered to let her go home early, and even if she wanted to take it, she declined, needing to finish more work, and looking for a gift for her mother online in between emails.

"I want to shop for my mom," she told Boruto. "I need to look around before deciding. Her birthday is coming up."

"Oh? When is it?" He asked curiously.

"March 28," Sarada answered. "Getting too close for comfort, honestly. I usually already have a gift idea by now."

"Oh shit, it's the day after mine." Boruto gasped. "That reminds me! I have dinner with my family that night. You should come… I mean… if you're hungry… that day."

Her eyes went wide. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!" She gasped, thinking now that she didn't have a present for him, too. And shit, he was her boss. She should plan _something_. Her hands came up to her temples to massage it. "I can't believe you're only telling me now." Totally glossing over his invitation for dinner and stressing about planning already. "That's on a Friday, right?"

"Calm down, yes it's on a Friday but it's still forever away and yours is right behind it but I don't hear you making announcements." He huffed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Not that I need them because I already know these things."

She pouted at him, still feeling betrayed and bad she didn't know sooner. One more thing to stress about and her period was not helping. "My birthday is in the middle of the week, it's not like I can do anything on the same day. Maybe the weekend after, though…"

"Don't worry, I'm already on top of it." Boruto pulled his left hand out of his pocket and patted her head with a soft smile.

She narrowed her gaze at him. "You better not be pulling any surprises."

"Me?" He moved his hand to point at his chest, feigning offense. "Please, I am your surprise and it's not a surprise since you already know."

Her brows lifted at that and she couldn't help but grin slyly. "Did you just say you're _my_ gift?" She faked a gasp, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Took you long enough to confess."

"What the hell would I need to 'confess' for? As if you don't know." He muttered.

Sarada rested her chin on her palm and didn't even bother to hide her grin. "No, I don't know. Do tell."

"I can show you better." He smirked, poking her nose playfully as he winked at her.

Sarada giggled. "Okay, okay." Her good mood didn't last until she felt a wave of cramps. She took a sharp breath in and hissed. Such a weird period. She almost never had cramps.

"Sarada, get your shit. I'll take you home." Boruto said with a tone of finality.

Once the cramp disappeared, she packed up her stuff, including her laptop, intending to work at home instead. It was still fairly early and she had yet to find a gift for her mother.

Once they were in Boruto's apartment, she put on his pajamas and a shirt, upset that he took the laptop away from her and insisted she rests. With a pout on her face, she laid down and scrunched up into a ball, holding on to her tummy. It didn't take too long for her to relax, as she could smell him on the sheets. She had been spending more and more time at his place, only stopping by her apartment to get more clothes. Sarada didn't mind staying over one bit and enjoyed his company.

Boruto came back to the room, holding a cup of tea for her. Sarada sat up and took it eagerly, leaning into him as he joined her in bed.

"I'd love to go to your birthday dinner," she said with a soft smile. "I don't think I've ever met your mother." With the number of events the company had, Sarada couldn't ever recall Naruto bringing her to any. "I hope she likes me."

Wait, why did that matter again? It was just dinner. In his parents' house. On his birthday.

No big deal, right? Normal friend things to do.

_What a load of bullshit._

"You'll love her. Mom is really sweet but also scary. A lot like Hima." Boruto chuckled as his fingertips trailed up and down her arm, his eyes on nothing in particular. "She wants to meet you… and she already likes you."

"She knows about me?" Her voice getting an octave higher. "W-what did you tell her?"

"Me?" He asked, lips parting and eyes looking at her momentarily. "I didn't… I said nothing. Not anything. And she is just happy I finally have a girl who is a friend…"

For some odd reason, that kind of… stung. "Oh." Sarada nodded and sipped her tea. "Right."

"It will be the first time I've taken anyone to dinner at my family's home so… they're definitely going to embarrass the shit out of me. Don't believe anything they say. Especially dad."

Sarada laughed lightly. "I highly doubt they will fail their mission."

"Hey!" Boruto groaned. "Don't laugh at me. Maybe you should just go without me."

She kept laughing and tucked herself on his chest. "No, I'd never leave without you."

_Wait, what?_

"I mean, it would be rude for me to go without you, you know? It-it's your house and everything."

"Right." He laughed. "I guess we'll survive it together."

.

.

.

After getting to work, Sarada dropped her things on her desk to go fetch her morning coffee. She took her time, knowing her morning was free from any meeting or anything urgent. Once she got back to the desk, she was surprised to find an urgent meeting invitation from her boss.

_Hi Sarada,_

_I need to speak with you, urgently. Come to my office when you're back._

_Cheers,_

_Boruto._

Lifting a brow, she took her coffee and a notebook and pen before heading over to his office. He was looking at his screen, a smile on his face.

"You called for me… sir?" unsure why she added the last word, but it was perhaps because it was Monday and he was in his best suit and that pink tie she got him. Taking a seat on the chair across his desk, she waited for him to speak.

His smile only widened and he placed both hands on his desk, clamped together. "I'm really pleased with your performance as of late, Sarada. The Burger Ramen launch is coming together beautifully and I know we couldn't have done it without you. You've finished developing a new recipe in half the time as well and coped with all the pressure with grace."

He sounded so formal that it put her off, but her heart soared with his praise for her. "Oh," she smiled. "Thank you, I'm just doing my job."

"And you do it remarkably well, and I'm sure you know we reward our employees accordingly."

Boruto was being too formal… it was really creeping her out. She tilted her head away from him but kept her eyes on his. "I am not sure where this is going, sir."

He grinned. "I've discussed with HR and the President, and we all agree it was time you received a promotion. One that we knew you were going to get sooner rather than later."

_So the rumors were true…_

"I just received one," Sarada laughed nervously. "I don't understand. How else could you promote me?"

"Sarada," Boruto leaned a little closer to her. "I think you'll like what we're proposing to you."

Like it? Sure, more money was always good. But his formality and excitement were starting to unsettle her. "I will?" Her voice was a lot smaller than she intended it to come out.

"Yes!" Boruto beamed. "We want you to be the new Marketing Director here in ICHIRAKU RAMEN CORP!" His smile was so wide, and judging by his body language, he expected her to be happy. Jump for joy, even.

Sarada was happy, but her brows tugged together and she asked with suspicion. "But that's your job. What're you supposed to be doing now, then?" She swallowed, feeling her anxiety raise. "Are you leaving?"

Instead of happiness being the overarching feeling, she felt betrayed.

His smile slowly melted away. "I thought you would be happy to receive this… Naruto and Konohamaru are waiting in their office to have you sign, and I looked at your package myself, it's great."

She gasped and shook her head. "I'm sorry, thank you." She cleared her throat. "It's just a lot to take in, and yes, I am grateful for the opportunity but my question still stands." She looked at Boruto, hurt flashing across her face. "Are you leaving me?"

Being professional with him in the office was something she always maintained at all times. But that last question she asked, she knew it was _far_ from having a professional meaning.

"No, I'm not leaving _you._ " He said softly. "My position here was temporary from the beginning, Sarada. It's rightfully yours… and with me no longer being your boss, things will be easier. Right?"

She couldn't form any words, her mouth opened and closed but she was still feeling so confused. "I—" she swallowed, looking at him. Still so afraid he was going to leave. "Since when did you know?"

"Since before we even met, Princess." He said, smiling sweetly at her. "Your promotion was being discussed before Dad came to me about this position. Why do you think we put you over the team? Dad has always had a lot of faith in you. I came to make sure he wasn't wrong."

"I thought you did that because you didn't want to handle Chocho and Inojin," Sarada muttered. Perhaps this wasn't the time for blunt honesty but it just came out and she retracted it immediately. "I mean—they're great but they can be… a handful."

Boruto laughed and stood up from his seat, slowly walking around his desk to stand next to her. "That's true, but you handle them well. This position belongs to you, Sarada. I don't think you ever needed me."

 _No, I do need you._ "Why would you say that?" Her sudden outburst surprised even herself. Again, quite sure she wasn't speaking professionally. "I mean… it's a big responsibility. I've only handled two people and oh my god," now she knew that rumor was true. "That thing finance was handling wasn't for my intern request, was it?"

"No, it wasn't." He sighed and knelt down to be eye level with her. "Why are you not happy, Sarada? It's not like you to doubt yourself."

"I am," she assured him, leaning closer to his face. "I'm happy, and I have been wanting this position since I found out the previous director left but…" _I've grown attached._ "I don't want you to leave, either."

Boruto's face and eyes softened and he laid his hand over hers on her lap. "I know we've had a lot of fun, but this isn't where I belong, Sarada. This is your place. I have my own dreams. But you'll still have me here for this whole month."

Her lips pouted. It was like they had a mind of their own. "That's so short."

Complaining? Getting clingy? Totally _not_ together.

Boruto chuckled and got back up on his feet. "It's standard turnover time, Sarada. I know you'll pick things up before the month even ends."

_So soon._

"Who else knows?"

"Only Dad and Konohamaru… and well, Shikadai kind of got it out of me." He said as he slid his hands in his pockets. "They're all excited for you."

Sarada laughed. "Couldn't resist his questioning?" She also stood on her feet. "Thank you so much for the opportunity, sir." She extended her hand for a shake. "I'm excited to see what you have in store for me."

Boruto smiled at her and took her hand in his for a firm shake. Just when she was about to pull her hand back, he held fast and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss, blue eyes looking right at hers.

Sarada smiled and walked up to him, planting a kiss just as soft on his lips. Professionalism be damned. When they pulled apart, she pointed a finger at him. "You better not leave me."

"Heh. You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried."

She giggled and gave him a quick hug. "Shall we go to your father now? I feel like I have the edge to negotiate further."

Boruto snorted. "I think you'll find the package promising, but you can always try."

Sarada grinned and led the way out of his office, and entered Naruto's with him in tow. The talk went a lot better than she imagined and Boruto was right. The package was more than generous. Looking over her new contract, Boruto offered his sunflower pen for her to use, and she accepted it happily. Signing her name over her new position.

_Sarada Uchiha_

_Marketing Director_

It felt so surreal. But it was great and she was more than grateful to have the position. Naruto and Konohamaru clapped when she signed and she was all grins. Despite Naruto and Konohamaru congratulating her, all Sarada could do was look at Boruto and feel her heart soar.

Things were looking up, indeed.


	35. Boruto's Birthday and Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Bortuto! For this chapter, Tyy and I dedicate it to our favorite cinnamon roll.
> 
> This chapter contains explicit sexual content. Please be responsible for what you read!
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

By some miracle, Boruto had kept the word vomit from happening and had been able to announce Sarada's promotion like he was meant to. It was so relieving and he'd been so happy to give her the good news, but he wasn't expecting her reaction at all.

In the end, she was happy. This was what she wanted and everybody knew that, but she had looked so torn—she even talked as if she wasn't ready for it—like she wasn't prepared.

And then she told him not to leave her.

Boruto could understand where she was coming from. Even he would be a little saddened by not being able to work with her anymore. It was their norm, but it wasn't something meant to last forever.

However, that didn't mean they had to stop being friends.

In all honesty, it would be better for them. There would be no issues, no gossip, no bossing. Sarada would do what she did best and Boruto would do the same. Their careers wouldn't align, but they could do whatever the hell they wanted and Boruto intended to do a lot of that.

Time was flying by, probably because Boruto and Sarada were seeing each other a lot more during their work hours. Boruto enjoyed talking things over with her, explaining everything thoroughly and giving her pointers for things if she ever asked for them. It was easy to see her excitement in the passing days, but every so often she would whine about him leaving her again.

It was cute when she worried like that. Sarada would calm down and drop it after he assured her that wasn't what was happening, but then she'd end up bringing it up again. They ended up spending long hours at the office and more than a few times did things they shouldn't have been doing on his desk that was soon to be hers.

He wouldn't be her boss for much longer—and Boruto was an opportunist.

His birthday was fast approaching, right along with the end of his position. Just before it was Sakura's birthday, but as Sasuke had planned to take her on a weeklong trip to celebrate, Sarada and Boruto ended up seeing them for lunch a week before her birthday.

Sarada had continued to stress over what she was now referring to as 'birthday month', and not in her usual collected way of stressing. Boruto thought she was being a little strange, but he wasn't really surprised. A lot was going on with her promotion happening and everybody's birthdays.

She just worried a little too much.

What Boruto was worried about was his birthday and more so, dinner with his family plus one Princess Sarada. To say he was concerned would be an understatement. It was more like he was scared for his life. When he and Sarada walked hand in hand up to his parents' doorstep, he felt more like he was walking into an interrogation than a birthday dinner.

It had been a laid back day before then. Sarada had stayed over the night before, somehow managing to wake up before him. He was still surprised considering it hadn't even been daylight yet, but the sun had risen long before they got out of bed.

They did make it to work on time, but Boruto still couldn't figure out how that happened. It was an early day for both of them, the pair leaving the office at lunch. For the next few hours, they went back to his place and tried to watch TV, but neither of them could really focus on it with Himawari's constant texting. She was really excited for his birthday and getting to have dinner with them.

Boruto didn't start panicking until they got in his car to head over there and now that they were standing on the doorstep, he was thinking this whole thing was a mistake.

They would embarrass him beyond belief. He just knew it.

His hesitation had Sarada nudging him until he finally steeled himself and opened the door. Boruto stepped inside, pulling Sarada along with him.

"I'm home." He announced begrudgingly. Quietly. Ridiculous as it was, he wished nobody would be home and it could already be over.

"Bro!" Himawari sang, sliding out into the hallway and rushing at him full speed.

Boruto barely kept himself on his feet when she tackled him in a hug, throwing all of her weight on him. However, he did keep himself there, hugging her with his free arm because his other was occupied by Sarada.

Himawari kicked her feet as she clung to his neck but finally released him, dropping back down to her feet. "Happy birthday!"

"Hima, you already said it a million times today." He muttered, already embarrassed.

"Not in person!" She huffed before turning to Sarada with a grin. "Sarada-chan, you look so pretty!" Himawari gushed as she wrapped her arms around Boruto's not date in a tight hug.

"Thank you," Sarada returned her hug and took her in. "You're looking so cute, too. Thank you for inviting me."

"MOOOOM!" Himawari yelled, grinning from ear to ear. "Hurry up, you're missing Boruto's _girlfriend._ "

And so it began.

"Hima!" Boruto balked. "Shut up!"

"What?" She glowered, face twisting so quickly it gave Boruto whiplash. "Don't even _think_ about telling me you haven't made it official yet."

He didn't intend to tell her anything. Period.

"Welcome home, Boruto." Hinata seemed to have popped out of nowhere, making Boruto jump as he hadn't expected it.

He was too busy glaring at his sister.

"Oh, Sarada," His mom smiled sweetly as she looked over the girl. "It's nice to finally meet you, I hear about you _a lot."_

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Uzumaki," Sarada smiled. "I thought you looked pretty in that photo on Mr. Uzumaki's desk, but seeing you in person is completely overwhelming."

"Oh, you're too sweet." Hinata giggled, blushing lightly at the compliment. "Let's go into the dining room. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes."

"Please let me help with dinner," Sarada smiled. "Boruto here didn't allow me to get you anything."

"You're a guest, Dear. Please don't worry about a thing. There's not much to do and Naruto is excited to see both of you."

"Bet he is," Boruto grumbled, lips poking out as he sulked.

"He is, but he's on the stupid phone. Go tell him to knock it off, Bro." Himawari said quickly and Boruto sighed.

After kissing his Mom's cheek, Boruto led Sarada through the home until they reached the dining room. The table was already set and Naruto was sitting on the end, on the phone just as Himawari said.

"I told you it was serious. Not my fault you're so cocky. I want my twenty… you have to pay your debts Konohamaru. Go ahead and wire it to me… what— _no—_ Boruto will be pissed if you—"

"Dad!" Boruto interjected when he could take it no longer. He could only imagine what they were talking about. He didn't want to imagine it at all.

Naruto finally noticed the pair standing at the entryway and he laughed nervously. "Gotta go, Konohamaru. Don't forget my twenty."

Boruto glared at his dad who hung up his phone and watched them eagerly. He was really too much and this wasn't looking good for Boruto at all. He wasn't going to ask what the twenty was about.

"Come on, have a seat," Naruto said with a cheeky grin. "Sarada, it's so nice to have you joining us."

She returned his smile and thanked him for inviting her. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you." His grin spread, eyes crinkling as Boruto and Sarada took their seats. "So close to getting rid of Boruto at work, you must be excited, Sarada."

Sarada laughed and looked at Boruto. "I'm excited about the new position, but I'll miss him annoying me with more work to do."

Boruto felt the tension leaving his body and he was able to smile thanks to her. "You never know, I may still annoy you while you're working."

"You better not," Naruto warned.

The smile faded as Boruto turned his attention to his dad. "Okay, Gaara."

Naruto's mouth fell open and he couldn't hide his surprise or obvious humiliation from the reminder. "I… don't know what you're talking about."

"Shall I remind you?"

"Absolutely not."

Boruto smirked. _Victory._ "Don't worry, I'll keep my visits to a minimum."

Himawari came dancing into the dining room, carrying food. Her mother was right behind her, bringing more as well. Before long, the five of them were eating dinner and Boruto almost thought the worst of it was over—that he was safe now and could get through this, but he was wrong.

"You know, Sarada-chan… Boruto never brings his girlfriends over here." Himawari was the start of round two—just as she was the start of round one.

She seemed obsessed with the word girlfriend, using it way too freely for Boruto's liking.

"That's true. I'm still surprised." Hinata added and Boruto dropped his fork.

"There have been no 'girlfriends'," Boruto whined and Naruto chuckled.

"It's okay, we're glad Sarada is your first."

 _First._ "DAAAAAAD." Boruto groaned loudly.

"I'm just saying, you made a great choice. She's smart and beautiful and has the patience to deal with you."

" _Dad!_ " Boruto was going to combust any second. Eating was out of the question.

"I hear you're living together," Hinata smiled. "How is that going?"

"Who the hell said that?!" Boruto screamed.

"You really shouldn't have taken that step without letting Hima and I pretty your place up, Boruto. Sarada, if you need any help, I'd love to come over."

Boruto was going to die. "What the actual fuck."

Naruto chunked a bread roll at Boruto, hitting him right on the cheek. "Watch your language."

Boruto's brow twitched as he looked between his parents.

"Don't throw food, Dear," Hinata said to Naruto softly, but she had those eyes—like Himawari. _Deadly._

"Are you excited for your trip tomorrow?" Himawari asked Sarada before popping a baby shrimp in her mouth. Boruto's heart stopped.

Sarada looked at Boruto, and then at Himawari, a smile on her face. "What trip?"

Himawari choked on her shrimp and Hinata quickly started patting her back while Boruto cursed everything in his life. Can't have a day.

"T-trip? I said… I said _chip_." Himawari tried to change her words, instead of saying something that didn't make any sense and Boruto almost lunged at her across the table.

_Who does that?_

"I'm a little lost," Sarada looked at Boruto, waiting for an explanation.

Jaws tensing at being put on the spot, Boruto looked at Sarada apologetically. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

Her eyes widened by the tiniest bit, and she giggled. "I thought _you_ were my surprise."

"Wow, are those wedding bells I'm hearing?" Naruto snickered.

"Dad!" Boruto grabbed his roll and threw it forcefully, getting the old bastard right between his eyes.

"Boruto!" Hinata chided him and he cowered back.

"Well, _mom,_ we're not even together!"

The other three Uzumaki's gasped in unison and there was a long moment of stunned silence before Himawari grabbed her bread roll and flung it at Boruto, catching him in his nose.

"Dad, Boruto's being stupid again!" Himawari huffed.

"I agree. Son, this isn't how we raised you to be."

"He's just in denial." Hinata sighed. "You'll have to forgive him, Sarada… he gets it from his father."

"Hey!" Naruto gawked at his wife and Boruto wondered how likely it was he'd be able to make an escape.

The teasing never ended. Dinner was awkward, but truthfully no worse than Boruto expected. Sarada laughed a lot and didn't speak much, rarely getting the chance. When they were finally able to get out of there, Boruto made a mental note to not return. Ever.

"I'm so fucking sorry." He said with a groan the instant they were sitting in his car together. Sarada would more than likely be running for the hills any second now.

"Don't be sorry," Sarada laughed. "Your family is so much fun. It was such a lively dinner. You think they liked me?"

"Is that even a question?" Boruto snorted. "They're just waiting for us to announce our wedding date." It was sickening.

Sarada inhaled sharply and looked out the window, hiding her face and faking a laugh. "Ridiculous."

"Right?" Boruto mumbled, face hot. "This is why I told you to ignore them. They have no chill."

There was a moment of silence that passed between them. The air thickening with… tension? Awkwardness? No one could really be sure.

Sarada turned to face him, cheeks pink and looking everywhere except his face. "S-so this trip tomorrow. When did you plan to tell me? Or are you upgrading yourself from a stalker to a kidnapper?" She joked.

"It was supposed to be a surprise!" He whined. "I'm taking you to one of our vacation homes. It's really beautiful during spring, even early spring. I thought we could celebrate together there."

"That sounds wonderful," Sarada grinned. "We'll be spending the whole weekend there?"

"Yeah." Boruto perked up at her excitement, but kept his eyes on the road. "I was planning to drive us in the morning… but we could even leave tonight if you want."

"Whichever you prefer," she took his hand in hers. "Just don't tire yourself out. Is it a long drive?"

"About an hour. I'm fine with it if you are. Then when we wake up tomorrow we won't have to get out of bed for a long time."

"Oh, I like the sound of that."

"Well good then, I'll drive straight there." Boruto grinned.

"Right now?" She panicked. "I haven't packed anything!"

"You won't need anything," Boruto assured her. "Except me."

Her cheeks reddened, understanding what his agenda was for the weekend. "Boruto!"

"Aw, are you gonna complain?" He faked a pout, sparing her a glance as he merged onto the highway.

She grimaced. "I hate you! I'll have nothing to wear all weekend!"

"Why do you think you'll need to wear anything?" Boruto asked teasingly. "I can keep you covered."

Her face was as red as a tomato, looking like she would burst at any minute. "I can't believe you." Sarada covered her face with her hands.

"Don't worry, I'll get naked with you." He promised, patting her leg before taking her hand again.

Sarada groaned, but she wasn't angry with him. "Okay, fine," she muttered and slumping down in her seat.

Boruto chuckled and gave her hand a light squeeze. "I'm glad you agree."

.

.

.

It was late by the time they arrived at the vacation home they would be spending the weekend at. They left the car and Boruto took Sarada's hand as they walked to the front door. He unlocked it with his free hand and then they walked in. It was a two-story home by a small lake with spacious land covered in cherry blossom trees that were now blooming. Boruto was certain she would love the scenery, but they would worry about that the next day.

Maybe.

"You wanna look around?" He asked once he locked the door behind them. "My room is on the second floor."

She held on to his hand with her other and nodded. "Yes, this place looks beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so. I've always enjoyed coming here, though I usually like the outside best." This time he didn't think that would be the case.

"Really? Is it nice in the morning, then?" Her excitement was evident.

"Oh, it's beautiful. And completely secluded. You can prance your sweet ass around in the nude and nobody can enjoy it except me."

Oh, he wanted to see that. He was half-hard just thinking about it.

Sarada scoffed and hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Is _that_ why you brought me here?" She placed a hand on her chest and faked a dramatic sigh. "And here I thought it was because you actually enjoyed my company."

"Oh, I do." Boruto hummed, stealing her hand and bringing it to his lips for a kiss. "I'm going to really enjoy your company… and spoiling you… and making you moan my name until you can't speak normally anymore." He sighed wistfully.

"Is that a promise?" She leaned into him, hips pressing against his. "I sure hope it is."

"Oh, it is." He grinned, hands sliding around her hips and settling on her plump backside, kneading and squeezing. "Whoa, Princess, I think your ass is getting chunky."

She hit his chest lightly and glared. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

Boruto laughed, squeezing her bottom and pulling her more firmly against him. "I'm saying you're sexy as hell and I want you."

She pouted at him, and then reached for her purse. "Can I give you my gift first?"

"You got me a gift?" He asked, lips parting in awe. "I told you not to get me anything."

"Of course I did," she took something small from her purse and hid it in her hand. "It's nothing big and all that but," she then presented him a silver key with a small keychain with her name on it. "I wanted to give you a key to my apartment."

Boruto's eyes went wide and he looked at the key like it was the most fascinating treasure he had ever seen. He took it from her and didn't say a thing. Sarada started getting nervous so she kept on talking. "I thought you should have one because if we're not going to be going home together and stuff anymore, I don't want you to have to wait for me at my doorstep, you know?" She looked at his face. "I'm sorry, it's a horrible gift. I'll get you something else!"

"Sarada," Boruto looked away from the key and gave her his best smile, the one that always made her heart skip a beat. "I love it. This is more than I could ask for."

They weren't together, but Sarada was giving him this, welcoming him into her life with open arms and it truly meant the world to him. He slid the key in his pocket and took her back in his arms, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Thank you."

Sarada wrapped her arms around him too and nuzzled close. "At least I won't find you sitting on my doorstep in the cold," she muttered, and then giggled. She pulled away and looked at him, a wide smile on her face. "Where were we again? I believe you made me a promise."

"You're right." He grinned slyly and swept her into his arms bridal style, making her giggle. "I'm glad you're as eager as me."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his lips and when they parted, made their foreheads touch. "Happy birthday, Boruto."

His heart felt so full as he carried her to the stairs and walked up to them. He wanted to run, but that was ridiculous. He'd just had her that morning, yet he wanted her so badly now as if he'd never had her before. His room just had to be all the way at the end of the hall, but he finally made it there and carried her inside. It was a simple room that he'd never spent much time in. When he was here, he was either outside or sleeping. The bed was a queen size, made in a royal blue comforter that matched the curtains.

They weren't expected to arrive until the next day, so the place could use a bit of freshening up, but nothing would stop him from having her. Boruto walked into the room and let her down to her feet, keeping her flush against him with his arms around her slim frame. Then he kissed her, unable to wait another second to taste those sweet lips. He'd been deprived, for _what, like a minute?_ It had to be days. That's what it felt like to him and he was so hungry for her.

Their lips met slowly at first, breaths mingling for several seconds before the initial contact. The single touch was enough to elicit a groan from him, it rumbled deep in his throat and drawled out for several seconds, even as his lips parted to kiss her more deeply. Just that easily, he'd lost himself, drowning in her kiss and marveling in her soft, smooth skin. His hands slid up her back, pulling her shirt up along the way. Their lips separated just long enough for him to strip it off of her and drop it to the floor—then they were kissing again, tongues meeting instantaneously this time while Boruto reached behind her to unclasp her bra.

Once it fell away, he moved her to the bed and laid her down on it, nipping at her lower lip as he unbuttoned her jeans and then slowly pulled her zipper down. His left hand splayed out on her flat tummy, fingers inching inside her jeans and panties until the tip of his middle finger slipped between her folds. She was so wet it made his watering mouth seem like a desert. He couldn't believe this girl.

She was so fucking perfect.

"Trying to kill me." He mumbled breathlessly, his desire turning urgent, hands quickly working to strip her bottoms. She looked as delicious as ever which made him bend down and spread her legs. "Just a kiss."

Sarada whimpered, back arching as soon as his breath fanned out across her sex. He squeezed her soft thighs and laid a hot, open-mouthed kiss to her clit. She gasped and moved her hands to his hair, grabbing and pulling to try and make him give her more. Even her hips rocked as she desperately sought out his mouth and Boruto amused himself by moving around to prevent it from happening while leaving his mouth closer enough to make her crazy.

"Boruto!" She whined in frustration, tugging hard on his hair.

"Easy," Boruto groaned and finally took pity on both of them, sticking out his tongue to slide across her needy nub.

He held her down then, not holding back from getting a good, long taste of her and also driving her quickly towards an orgasm, but he wouldn't let her come like that this time. He pulled away, licking his lips and removing her hands from his hair.

Oh, she wasn't happy.

"You're gonna give me that look… even on my birthday?" He asked, clicking his tongue at her, but he was nothing short of happy.

Too ready to fuck her, he snatched his shirt off over his head and tossed it aside, soaking up the sight of her lying there, waiting. Onyx eyes were screaming at him—begging him to give her relief. He didn't waste another second in stripping his remaining clothes before settling over her and dragging her further up on the bed.

"Don't worry, you'll get to come soon enough." He murmured at her neck while grinding his cock against her sex. She writhed and whimpered, hands taking purchase on his shoulders and clawing him already.

_Her and those damn nails._

Boruto really shouldn't have liked that, but fuck, he didn't have much of a choice and his body was as good at betraying him as his mouth was. He was so hard, he was aching. He couldn't wait any longer. They were both beyond ready for it, so with a harsh suck to her throat, he lined his tip up at her entrance and slowly pushed inside.

It was the kind of pleasure that stole his breath and shook him to his core. His lips pulled away from her skin so he could raise his head and gaze down at her. She was always so beautiful, but when she was like this, face contorted in rapture and skin flushed noticeably, even in the dimly lit room, hair all over the bed around her—she was otherworldly.

"So beautiful," he whispered, breathing in deeply as he rocked his hips slowly, grinding into her so that his pubic bone rubbed up against her swollen and throbbing clit.

She was so close and he knew he wouldn't last long either. It was a shame the things she could do to him. His slow pace never changed, but it made for a powerful build from the both of them that had them clinging to each other, breathless moans filling the air around them, escalating once they finally reached their orgasms together. Her pussy clenching around him effortlessly milked him for all he was worth and when they finally calmed, he rolled them over into their sides, pulling her impossibly closer to him.

Sarada's eyes were already fluttering as she started drifting off and Boruto smiled at the sight. She was precious and he was really glad he'd been able to spend this birthday with her.

He would have never admitted it, but he secretly hoped he could do it again next year.


	36. Vacation & Check Ups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content.
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

Sarada woke up tangled in bed with Boruto—warm, so warm with their naked states and weekend plans fresh on her mind. A sly smile took to her lips as she stared at his peaceful, sleeping face. He looked cuter than ever, breathing softly through parted lips. She let her eyes trail down to his chest, hand following and continuing on a path down the center of his abs, making him shift slightly in his sleep.

Thinking this whole no clothes thing was the best idea he ever had, Sarada grinned to herself as she shimmied down the bed, dragging her lips down his abdomen, alternating between soft kisses and quick nips on her way down. He'd made her feel so good the night before, taking things slow and sensual and making for a mind-blowing orgasm that she didn't think she'd ever forget.

She was excited to find him half hard in his sleep and was determined to have him make good on his word. There would be no reason for them to wear clothes all weekend. That meant lots of sex and lots of staring at his gorgeous body. Her hand wasted no time in wrapping around the base of his cock, and holding firmly as she stuck her tongue out and glided it up and around his length. It was quickly responding and his hips shifted, head-turning. However, he didn't wake up.

Wanting to take her time and enjoy getting him up and off this morning, Sarada started pumping his member lazily, tongue moving just as languidly around his tip. The smell and feel of him were more than enough to have her hot, thighs pressing together and arousal pooling from her sex. It wasn't even right for him to have her turned on so easily.

_He wasn't even awake!_

Oh, but she wanted him to be. Once he was fully erect, Sarada sheathed her teeth and lowered her mouth on him, tongue massaging the underside of his cock on the way down. She sucked hard on the way back up and Boruto shuddered, making a breathy noise that had her eyes peeking up to his face. Those blue eyes were heavily lidded and clouded over as he stared down at her.

Her lips popped off of him with a loud smack and he hummed approvingly before licking his dry lips. "Taking your breakfast early, Princess?" He asked, voice deeper than usual from being woken up and also tinged with longing.

A sly smile formed on her lips. "I can't resist when you're looking this good." Sarada crawled on top of him and kissed his lips lightly, first. Teasing him awake, and then pressed down a little harder, barely resisting getting more of him, hips lining up with his. Even the slightest touch was enough to have her core heating to dangerous levels—like molten lava spreading through her body, licking up and down her spine, making her quiver and moan wantonly.

"Damn, Sarada. Two mornings in a row like this… I think you're spoiling me." Boruto said, voice husky and hands roaming up her thighs and the curve of her hips. "I won't even fight you today."

It was for the best that he didn't, because Sarada was determined to win that battle. Eager as she was, she held his erection in place, getting herself in just the right place and then she dropped down on him, swallowing him up in an instant. Boruto let out a gasp, clearly not expecting it.

He cursed and she held back her own moans, hands moving to his on her waist so she'd have something to hold onto. Her hips rolled on top of him, giving them both the most satisfying stimulation. Boruto loved to watch her, never taking his eyes off of her, though they roamed constantly so that he didn't miss anything.

Sarada felt completely at ease with him and moved in ways that felt best for her which seemed to be just as enjoyable for him. He was so thick and long, giving her a wonderful stretch that caressed her walls perfectly. She ground herself down so that she received the ultimate pleasure with each movement and in no time, they were both panting and singing praises to each other.

Boruto let her take control, move at her own pace and do as she pleased, at least until she got too close. At that point, her movements became sloppy and slow, but Boruto was right on the edge as well and had no interest in prolonging it—not this time. So, he held her up just enough so that he could thrust into her from his position, hips working fast and hard until she came, screaming and shaking and collapsing bonelessly on top of him.

Being on top was a workout, but she loved it. She loved how hot and heavy his release felt inside of her and the feel of him slowly softening after the act. Boruto brushed her hair out of her face as they laid there catching their breath and after a few moments, they both started laughing.

"We should really do this every morning." Boruto mused, settling his arms around her small frame and turning his head to kiss her forehead.

Sarada hummed, agreeing with him and kissing the tip of his nose. "We can do it all weekend, too."

"Just all weekend?" He asked, pouting playfully.

She giggled and tried to sit up. "For this weekend, I mean," she said and then stretched her arms up. "I'm hungry."

"Guess I should feed you then. I've been trying to fatten you up." He said with a smile and a pinch to her flat tummy.

Sarada flinched and swatted his hand. "Quit it!"

"No." He smirked and started pinching at her sides gently, wanting to see how ticklish she was.

She was ticklish, laughing and squeaking, giving him empty threats to make Boruto stop. When he didn't, she jumped out of bed and ran out in the hallway, Boruto right behind her. Sarada was beside herself with glee, running around the second-floor butt naked, doing her best not to let Boruto get his hands on her, in fear of being tickled. They raced down the stairs, a little slower, so they won't have a misstep. But as soon as Sarada reached the bottom step, Boruto wrapped his arms around her tummy and pulled her close, kissing her ear and giving it a light bite, making her laugh.

He stepped off the stairs and pushed her into the living room, hands roaming around her body and kissing her neck. Sarada kept her eyes closed, enjoying his touch. Boruto was getting aggressive again, looking at starting round two. Not that she would disagree one bit.

"Oh, what a lovely couple," a lady laughed. "Enjoying your honeymoon?"

Sarada's eyes popped open and she froze. Boruto did as well and they looked at the person standing a few feet away from them. She had a head of gray hair and fine lines around her eyes. Her smile was kind, and she hugged her mop.

"Boruto, dear, you didn't tell me you got married already."

Boruto squeaked and pulled Sarada closer to him, hiding his dick on her ass. "G-granny… oh my god, I didn't know you would be here!"

They were butt naked… in the living room…

"Oh, deary, I didn't expect you until lunch," she waved her hand around. "I've never seen you bring another girl here, too. Oh, I'm so happy." She came towards Sarada and extended her hand. "Chiyo."

Sarada crossed her legs and had her other hand come up her breasts to save the little dignity she had left. "S-Sarada." She shakily accepted the handshake, cheeks burning.

Not exactly the kind of morning she imagined, but Chiyo seemed unfazed with their… bare situation.

The old lady turned around and put her mop away. "Boruto, dear, why don't you two head outside for some breakfast while I clean up and put these groceries away for you."

"Y-yes, thank you."

They both bolted upstairs, scared and embarrassed out of their wits at being caught like that. Once they were back in Boruto's room, they stared at each other and started laughing.

"Oh my god," Sarada's shoulders were shaking. "That was too embarrassing."

"Really… it was funny as fuck. I just really hope she didn't see my dick. Shit… this won't be the last I hear of this." He shook his head back and forth, still laughing.

Sarada sat down on the bed and picked up his button-down shirt, slipping it on herself. "I don't imagine it would." Once she buttoned it up, she looked around for her panties and put it on. "So much for no clothes all weekend." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

Boruto sulked as he walked over to the dresser and pulled open a drawer, grabbing a pair of underwear and then finding a pair of shorts in the drawer under it. "This is some bullshit." He huffed as he got dressed. Or half-dressed at least. "No worries, she'll be gone soon and then we can get back to business."

She laughed and walked over to hug him. "It's okay, breakfast outside sounds good. And you wouldn't want someone else seeing _me_ naked, right?"

"Hell no. I mean, if it's granny Chiyo, I'm not going to worry too much. But… better safe than sorry I guess." He shrugged, sulk turning into a smile quickly. "We won't have to suffer long at least." He said before placing a chaste peck on her lips.

Sarada looked at him and smiled. "I won't be suffering as long as you're here with me."

Woah, that was too soft. But… it was true. She was happy to have him with her, and the view outside the window looked spectacular. The lake was glittering, and the trees swayed slowly with the wind.

As soon as they got back to the kitchen, there was a picnic mat and a basket waiting at the edge of the counter. Boruto picked it up with one hand and held hers with the other and led her outside.

The sky was blue and filled with fluffy white clouds. The Cherry Blossom trees weren't in full bloom yet, but they already looked so beautiful. It looked like a scene right out of a postcard, leaving her breathless.

"This place is beautiful," she whispered.

"It looks a lot better with you here," Boruto said softly.

Her cheeks turned pink and she kissed his shoulder, happy with his compliment. Boruto led them under the tree and set the mat out, Sarada stepped in and opened up the basket, stomach growling. She didn't think she felt this hungry, but she felt like she could eat three full meals. Unpacking the contents of the basket, there was bread, jams, and other pastries with meat that she has never seen in her life. It looked like a pot pie of sorts.

Regardless of what it was, she dug in. Sarada ate with gusto and felt shy that she finished nearly all of the potpie things, leaving Boruto only a piece. He watched her eat with an amused smile, spreading some jam on bread.

"Glad you're finally eating like I want you to. It's all the dick making you hungry. You've been burning hella calories lately." He couldn't have been smugger.

She pouted at him and took a big bite of a peach. "You just want me to be fat," she retorted. "Lessening your competition."

" _Competition?_ " Boruto scoffed. "There is no damn competition. And if there _was_ , I'd win no matter what. I hate to lose, ya know?"

Sarada giggled and offered him her peach. "I know you will. I'm counting on it."

Her stomach flipped and she felt a wave of nausea hit her, making her cover her mouth and gag. Oh no. That didn't feel right. Sarada staggered up to her feet and ran a few feet away until she threw up half of the things she ate. She heaved for a while, eyes burning and throat hurting.

What was happening to her?

"Sarada," Boruto called one panic, hesitating just a foot behind her, wanting to reach out but not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "What happened?"

She coughed a bit and made sure nothing else was coming out before standing up and wiping her mouth. "I don't know…" she looked at the grass, feeling sorry and disgusted at the same time. "I was feeling sick all of a sudden."

Boruto stepped closer and laid his hand on her back, stroking it soothingly. "I'm sorry, why don't we get you back inside. You can rest. If you're not feeling better in a few hours, I can take you to a doctor."

"No!" Sarada held on to his hand. "I'm fine. I don't want to leave." She looked at the grass again and cringed. "Maybe it's the food. I've never had it before."

"Calm down," he laughed. "No need to get upset. We won't leave unless we have to, and this place isn't going anywhere if it does come to that. Your health is most important. It could have been the food, I guess… we'll just have to wait and see."

She nodded, relieved that he was okay with staying. They just got here, haven't even explored the lake or rested more. It would be too much of a shame to leave and Sarada didn't want that at all. Her stomach was still acting up but she kept it to herself, not wanting to worry Boruto and take her away from this vacation home.

The two went back inside, Chiyo was done cleaning and already cooking up lunch for them. Boruto looked happy to smell what she was making, but Sarada didn't share the same thought.

It smelled _awful_.

Weird enough, Sarada took a peek at what she was cooking. Chicken and vegetables with garlic and herbs. It should have smelled good… but it really didn't.

"I'll stay outside," she smiled and grabbed a random book from the shelf and walked out to the porch, sitting on the bench and leaning back. It was weird, she never felt like this before and she would get bouts of nausea now and then. She removed her glasses and massaged the space between her eyes. Perhaps it was time to get her eyes checked again.

Boruto wasn't far behind her, coming over to sit next to her. "Are you okay? Maybe… should you lie down?" He asked, sounding at a loss.

She kept massaging her forehead and sighed. "I think it's time for me to get my glasses changed. I can't even remember the last time I went to have my eyes checked." Getting dizzy from wearing the wrong specs was absolutely normal.

"Sarada," Boruto chided her gently. "I meant it when I said your health is most important. You should keep up with these things. I want you to schedule a visit first thing Monday morning. You should have your eyes checked and also see your family doctor for a routine checkup… if you're feeling better by then."

Sarada pouted at him, not liking being chided one bit. But he did prove an important point. "Maybe not Monday, we have a meeting with supply," she peeked up at him and giggled at his glaring look on her. "Tuesday, okay? I'll cancel what I have."

"Make the appointment on Monday so you don't have any trouble being seen." He said before sighed. "I swear, _so difficult._ Making me worry."

"I'm fine!" She groaned. And really, she was. Feeling much better already. It was probably the smell of whatever Chiyo was cooking inside that made her sick. Sarada did not look forward to eating it. But she was feeling hungry all over again.

Chiyo called the two of them for lunch and she headed out the door, holding on to her bag. "I won't bother you two anymore," she grinned slyly. "Enjoy your honeymoon."

Sarada's cheeks burned. _Honeymoon_. Her stomach flipped at the thought. _We aren't even together._ But was that really such a bad thing? She looked at Boruto, all smiles and excited to eat, but pulled her chair out for her to sit before he took his.

The food looked good, but the smell made her nose scrunch. Boruto picked up on the look and chuckled because of it. "If looks could kill…"

She scrunched her nose at him. "I don't think I can eat this. It smells horrible."

"Sarada," he frowned. "This smells delicious… you must really be sick. I'll see if I can't find something you'll be able to handle." He stood up and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Delicious," she mocked. Boruto was the one who was sick if he thought this smelled good.

Just sitting at the table already made her nauseous. Following him, she felt her stomach flip and she rushed to the sink, pushing him out of the way to throw up even more of the breakfast that she ate. Sarada heaved again and held her hair out of the way. "Oh no."

Okay. Maybe she _was_ sick.

"That's it. You're getting in bed and I don't want to see you out of it." Boruto muttered behind her.

For a second, she fought her instinct to deny and say she was fine. But her world was really starting to spin and she did not want to start throwing up liquids. Sarada nodded and went up the stairs, holding on to her stomach and praying she won't throw up again. Once she got to the room, the smell of fabric conditioner hit her and she felt so much better.

The curtains and bedding were changed, and were all pink now, instead of blue. She laughed lightly, thinking Boruto might like this better. She peeled her shirt off and crawled under the comforter, curling up and making herself comfortable. But lying down in bed didn't feel half as good alone as it did with Boruto.

"Boruto…" she called, not wanting to stay in his room alone.

When he came in, he was carrying a tray with him that he brought over and set on the bedside table. He looked over her, feeling her forehead with a look of confusion. "No fever. It could just be your stomach is upset. Sit up and try this, okay?"

Sarada got up, the comforter pooling at her waist and revealing her bare chest. She tucked her hair behind her ears and peeked at him, staring at her boobs shamelessly. "You said no clothes this weekend."

"B-but it doesn't count if you're sick." He frowned, tearing his eyes away from her chest to look at her face instead. "It's fine as long as you stay warm though." The tray was picked up and held at the ready for her.

She scooted a bit to make room. "I'll stay warm if you stay with me."

"I'm fine with that." He smiled and settled himself next to her in bed. He placed the tray over her lap. "After this and a nap I'm sure you'll feel good as new."

She hummed, looking over at the food excitedly. Now, _this_ smelled good. "Aren't you going to eat?" Sarada picked up the spoon. "Eat with me. But not the chicken."

"You eat, don't worry about me. And don't go hating on the chicken just because there were no waffles."

Sarada snickered and leaned into him, careful not to knock anything over. "You're always taking care of me." She kissed his chin. "Thank you."

"What kind of a man would I be if I didn't take care of my princess?" He grinned and kissed her temple.

After a few more moments of teasing, Sarada dug in and finished everything he made for her. Feeling sleepy once her tummy was full, Boruto lied down with her for a nap. As soon as she fell asleep, he went downstairs to eat and clean up after their meal. Two hours passed, and Sarada was still asleep.

Blinking herself awake, Sarada reached out blindly in bed, upset that she didn't find Boruto next to her. She would have thrown a fit, but she heard music coming from downstairs, and it sounded familiar, and pleasant.

Draping the comforter around her, she trudged down the stairs, and found Boruto tinkering with an old recorder, and a bunch of vinyl records around him. He didn't notice her yet, and she felt herself soften watching him wipe them up and hum to the music. It was old, the kind of music she heard her grandparents playing whenever she was over. The song changed, and a soft love song played. It seemed like a good time to walk over to him, and she did. Gently wrapping her arms around his middle, hugging him from behind.

"Out of bed so soon… you must be feeling better?" He looked over his shoulder to smile at her.

Sarada nodded and hummed. "I feel much better, thank you." She faked a pout, "But you weren't in bed with me."

"I couldn't stay still anymore." He returned her fake pout. "And I remembered these old things. Belonged to my grandparents."

She looked around him, and smiled at the label. "My grandparents liked them, too."

Boruto happily played one of the old records and then got to his feet, circling his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "Let's dance."

Dropping the comforter on the floor, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes as they swayed to the music. Listening to Frank Sinatra sing 'Something Stupid' with his wife completed the picture for her. The lyrics were hitting her hard, making Sarada hold on to him tighter and taking in his scent, letting it overwhelm her. It was perfect. This weekend wasn't close to being over but it was already perfect and she didn't want to ruin it.

They've only known each other for a few months, but she had never felt so connected to someone as deeply as she did with Boruto. They weren't together, never saying out loud how they felt for each other but at this moment, Sarada didn't care. He was here with her, spending this small space in time with no one else but her, and she never wanted it to end.

Perhaps she wouldn't even need to say it. It was obvious, anyway. Even if… she wished he did say it.

.

.

.

The weekend ended all too fast, and Sarada was having a severe case of Monday Blues. She didn't get sick anymore the following day and thought about skipping the doctor's appointment she was scheduling now. Truth be told, she really would have skipped it Boruto wasn't hovering over her to get the appointment done, he was even insisting he come with her.

"I'll be fine," Sarada waved him off. "I'll get a new prescription for glasses, fill up a form, wait around for a few days and have them mailed to me." She rolled her eyes. "I can handle it, okay?"

"You make an appointment with your family doctor too," He said with narrowed eyes. "If you can handle it, don't try to brush it off."

She pouted at him and pulled out her phone, "Okay, okay. I'll text to have it done. I can't believe this, making me go to the hospital on my birthday."

"Which is why I offered to go with you. I feel bad, okay? But it's the right thing to do. I'm worried about you."

He was too sweet… and worried too much. She kissed his cheek and held his hand. "It's nothing, okay? I don't want to waste your time waiting around on me. If you want, you can drop me off and pick me up after, sound okay?"

"I don't understand why you don't want me to go, but fine. I'll just wait outside for you. You're being difficult. As usual." He shook his head and sighed heavily.

"I'm not being difficult," she argued and sighed loudly. "Okay, fine. If you really want to go with me, then fine. Waste your time waiting with me. I don't know why you won't just let me go to my mom for this."

.

.

.

It wasn't so bad waking up early since he had been spoiling her since midnight, and it continued until she woke up, breakfast was ready for her and a large bouquet of flowers was waiting for her in the living room. He really knew how to make her happy and feel special.

Sarada was already on leave for her birthday, expecting that she would be able to visit her parents, but since Boruto was insisting, they went to the hospital right after breakfast and getting ready.

Since it was early, she was the first one the doctor saw and she got her eyes checked. Sarada couldn't even remember when was the last time she had gotten a new pair of glasses. Her grade did change, and Boruto had fun helping her pick a new pair that suited her well. Still red, and she didn't mind. After filling up the form for her new pair, and ordering a new set of contact lenses, the two of them headed to another wing to see a general doctor.

Boruto wanted to sit in with her, but she left him outside, teasing him to be such a snoop.

Sitting down across the middle-aged doctor, she smiled and waited.

The doctor held on to her form and read it over. "Sarada, was it?"

"Yes."

"Oh, it's your birthday!" The doctor smiled. "Happy birthday, dear. Let's make this quick."

"Thank you." Sarada smiled. "Yes, please. I have plans to see my parents after."

"Oh, really?" She smiled and put her stethoscope on and walked around. "I suppose the young man outside is your husband?" She lifted Sarada's shirt and started listening to her heartbeat from her back.

Sarada didn't answer, breathing calmly. She knew how these checkups went. Once the doctor was back on her desk, Sarada answered. "No, he's not my husband. He's just a friend."

"Oh?" The smug smile on her face made Sarada feel… slightly awkward. Why was it that everyone was assuming they were together? "Okay, dear. I just have a few questions. Yes or no answers are fine… Do you smoke or drink?"

"No, not really."

"When was your last cycle?"

She hummed and looked at the calendar. "Oh, I'm late…" she admitted. "I should have gotten it a few days ago."

The doctor looked at her. "Are you irregular?"

"No."

"Sexually active?"

Her cheeks reddened. "Yes."

"Last intercourse?"

Sarada looked away. "Th-this morning."

The doctor was _really_ looking at her now. "On birth control?"

"Umm… no."

"Condoms, then?"

Did he use condoms? "... no. I don't think so."

The doctor put the form down and took out a slip. "Okay, dear. I think we're done here but I need you to go see the OB-Gyne, I'll write you a referral."

"What?" Sarada was confused. "Why?"

She bit her lip and handed her a form. "When was the last time you went to one?"

"I don't… remember." Wow, she was really neglecting her health. "I think the last was when I got hired."

The doctor hummed and handed her another slip. "Please give this to the receptionist on your way out. Now, before you leave, please do see the OB-Gyne, okay?"

Sarada felt her stomach flip. "O-okay. Thank you." She stood up from the chair and made to leave.

"Happy birthday, Sarada. I hope you get a good present today."

She laughed nervously, not knowing what the doctor meant. "Thanks."

Sarada had a weird feeling about this.


	37. Sarada's Bithday and Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Sarada!
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

Having Sarada try to talk him out of accompanying her to her appointment was ridiculous. She knew how worried he was and should have taken that into consideration, but he had to really talk her into it. She was better now, whatever her sickness was having passed quickly. Boruto felt better about it, but it still wasn't normal and it had been too long since she'd had a proper checkup.

When they arrived fifteen minutes before her scheduled appointment, Boruto helped her out of his car and held onto her hand as they walked inside. She admitted that it had been a few years since she'd seen the doctor, but said it was never really necessary considering her mom was a doctor and would always see her if she was ever feeling ill.

He had no trouble joining her in having her eyes checked and helping her pick new glasses out, but when it finally came time for them to see the general doctor, she still ended up making him wait in the waiting area. Boruto has never been fond of hospitals, sure they were necessary and saved lives all the time, but sick people were hard for him to handle.

Boruto played on his phone for a while, trying to distract himself and pass the time. Finally, when she walked out, he stood up and took in the blank look on her face. It was… alarming.

"What's wrong?" He asked, heart clenching. If she was really sick, he didn't think he'd survive it. He knew he wouldn't, but he knew he didn't want to be in the dark either. After losing Nyoko, Boruto had learned not to take people's health for granted.

"Nothing's wrong," she assured him but waved a pink slip around. "I just have to get clearance from the Gynecologist and we can get out of here." Obviously upset with the idea that she had to see one more person before leaving. "Asked me so many weird questions, though," she muttered.

"Weird how?" He frowned and rested his hand at the small of her back as he eyed the slip and then glanced around to see which direction they should head in.

"Sex questions," she kept her voice down. "The period cycle was fine, but zoning in on asking about frequency and contraception was… weird."

"Sex, you say?" Boruto snickered. "I bet your face turned red as a cherry when you thought about it."

She pouted and looked away. "...No."

"Damn, you wound me." He sighed as he led her along. They'd been doing more walking than seeing doctors and that was saying something. "I'll make you think differently later."

Sarada shied away, but still let him hold her. Once they got to the Gynecologists' office, they were lucky the line wasn't so long. It only took a few minutes until they were called. Sarada stood up, not letting go of his hand and looked at him, waiting for him to get up on his feet. "Let's go?"

"Oh, you're not going to leave me behind?" He asked teasingly, trying to pout but his smile won out.

Although she smiled, it didn't mask her nervousness one bit. "Never, as long as you won't leave me."

"Of course I won't." He grinned as he stood up and lifted her hand to kiss it briefly. "Let's go."

They both walked hand-in-hand into the office. The Gynecologist had short black hair, and she looked fairly young. She grinned at seeing them. "Hello," the paper in her hand rustled, and Sarada eyed it nervously. "You must be Sarada. Happy birthday. I'm Shizune."

"Thank you," Sarada smiled and took a set in front of her desk.

The doctor looked over her form again and then smiled at Boruto. "What's your name? I don't think she filled in a part for her husband yet."

"Boruto Uzumaki." He said before the second part of the doctor's words hit him and he balked. "W-wait, not what I meant."

Shizune looked at him for a moment. "So… that isn't your name, Boruto Uzumaki?"

"No, I mean _yes_ , that's me." _We're not married though—we're not even together._

"Oh, okay," Shizune smiled and put the form down, going through her drawer and pulling out a long, small box. "Sarada, I'd like to give you a pap smear and an ultrasound since you mentioned here that you don't remember when was the last time… but before that," she handed her the box. "I need you to take a pregnancy test."

Sarada froze. "Wh-what? Why? I mean—I'm not pregnant. No way."

Shizune grinned, unfazed by her reaction at all. "It's just standard procedure here. If you're sure, then nothing to worry about."

Hesitantly, she took the box and walked over to the small bathroom behind the desk and locked the door, leaving Shizune and Boruto in the office to wait.

Boruto thought it was ridiculous and a waste of time and money to be giving Sarada a pregnancy test. She was on birth control any way and it wasn't like they had it to worry about, but he kept his comments to himself. Sarada wasn't gone for long, returning to hand over her test. Boruto grabbed her hand as soon as it was within his reach and held on supportively.

The Gynecologist put it away to wait for the result for a while, asking more questions about Sarada's period cycle and true enough, also delved into asking about her sexual activity.

"I suppose you use condoms? Or what is your birth control of choice? You didn't mention you took pills."

Sarada swallowed. "I don't…"

_Wait, what?_

Shizune nodded and wrote that down. "And you're sexually active?" Her eyes glossed over to another part. "Nearly every day," she muttered and then looked at the two of them before going back to the pregnancy test to check. "Oh my," she grinned and presented the pregnancy test to them. "Congratulations, you two. It looks like Sarada got her birthday gift just on time." Her grin never wavered, even if the two paled. She then looked at Boruto. "I'm assuming you're the father?"

"The _what?_ " Boruto squeaked. "What's… going on… what are you saying?" His heart was suddenly pounding and he could only stare at the doctor in a state of shock. No fucking way.

Shizune's smile finally melted. "Oh, I'm sorry," she cleared her throat. "Sarada, dear, you're pregnant. And looking at this," she read the test again, "Around six to eight weeks."

His pounding heart skidded to a halt and he found himself unable to breathe, wide blue eyes turning to Sarada and falling to her flat stomach. "You're pregnant?!"

Sarada didn't say a word. Her hand came up to her mouth, and the other on her stomach. "Oh my god," she whispered, still in disbelief.

The doctor looked at them and held her hands up, looking like she wanted to intervene but the worry on her face was evident and she looked at Sarada. "It's alright to be, Sarada."

"Oh my god," Sarada repeated, looking like she was going to cry and it was far from happy tears.

Boruto couldn't believe this. He hadn't expected something like this to happen. Ever. However, his concern for Sarada outweighed everything else and he was quick to wrap her in his arms. "Give us a minute." He said to Shizune and she nodded, silently leaving the room to give them some privacy. Boruto breathed in deeply, rubbing her back. "Sarada, it's okay."

"It's not okay!" she looked at him, fear evident in her dark eyes. "I'm not ready for this. I can't do this."

"Now you listen to me," Boruto said, fixing her with a pointed look. "We may not have been prepared for this, but together, we can do it. I'll be here for you."

She shook in his arms, clinging tightly to him, and then nodded. Boruto kissed her cheek a few times in hopes of soothing her. He was still in shock, disbelief, and feeling anxious about the whole thing. But it wouldn't do for her to be so upset.

"Everything will be okay." He spoke quietly, the words meant to reassure both her and himself.

For the most part, Sarada stayed quiet. The Gynecologist came back and started talking about appointments, do's and don'ts and anticipated questions but Sarada didn't ask any. Boruto took note of the important things, something about vitamins… and they left her office.

"I don't want to go to my parents' anymore," Sarada said quietly. "Can we go home, please?"

"Okay, if that's what you want, Princess. We just need to stop by the pharmacy on the way."

"Okay," she responded quietly. "I'll tell Mama we're not going."

Sarada waited in the car, calling her mom while Boruto ran into the pharmacy. The doctor said to get any kind of prenatal vitamins, something Sarada would have to take daily but the pharmacy seemed to have millions of vitamins and finding prenatal vitamins was like finding a needle in a haystack. He paced up and down the aisle, reading every label until his head began to hurt and one of the pharmacists found him.

He ended up buying a year's supply after learning it would be important for her to continue taking them even after the baby was born. He also bought some books the pharmacist recommended and worried about all the other things they may need as he checked out. Sarada had finished her call by the time he returned, offering her a bottle of water and one bottle of vitamins.

"Here you go, better to start as soon as possible." He smiled sweetly at her, feeling bad that she would have to take these vitamins for so long just to have his baby.

_Whoa._

"Thanks," she thanked him quietly and did as she was told. No arguing, no fussing, no being difficult. As soon as she finished, she placed the bottle down and sighed. "My family isn't happy we're not going. Missing my own birthday party."

"I'm sure they're not." He sighed as he fastened his safety belt and pulled out of the lot. "We can still go, ya know." He told her, taking her hand just as he always did. "Pretend nothing has changed… tell them later."

"I don't know if I can lie to them," Sarada responded, holding on tightly to his hand. "I do want to hug my mom, though."

"Don't lie, just don't tell them yet. It's different. We'll go, okay? It will be fine."

Totally fine.

.

.

.

When Boruto and Sarada arrived at her parents' home, they had somehow managed to calm down. That didn't last long for Boruto though, not when he learned this birthday dinner included two very overprotective uncles and even Sarada's grandparents. To say he was a nervous wreck would be an understatement, he was near shaking in his shoes as they walked to the front door together.

The door opened, and Sasuke was front and center, an impassive look on his face as it settled on Boruto. It didn't last long, because he turned his attention to his daughter, features softening instantly. "Happy birthday, Sarada."

She let go of Boruto's hand and wrapped her arms around her father, squeezing tightly.

"Is she here?" Sakura called from behind him, and just as quickly as Sarada hugged Sasuke, she let go and hugged her mother. "Oh, darling." Sakura wrapped her arms around her middle and grinned. "Happy birthday!"

Sarada winced. "Mama, too tight!"

Sakura let go and laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. You're still so precious. Come in, Boruto," she waved at him. "Everyone's waiting inside."

"Thank you." Boruto smiled and tried not to sweat, knowing Sasuke was staring at him. When the man tilted his head to gesture in the direction of the living room, Boruto swallowed hard and followed him. "It's nice to see you again, Mr, Uchiha. How was your trip?"

"Good," he replied, nodding his head. Sasuke's eyes were trained on his daughter and wife, before turning to face him. "Shame Sarada didn't come along with us." Although it was a perfectly normal and innocent statement, Boruto couldn't help but feel like that was more of an accusation.

"Y-yeah… well, I took her away for the weekend too, ya know." Boruto said, trying to make him realize that Sarada still had a good time.

"I know," Sasuke replied, and then eyed him. "She sent photos."

"Oh? W-what kind of photos?" Boruto asked nervously. They had been naked for ninety percent of the weekend.

"I think you already know," Sasuke said, dark eyes boring into his very soul.

Boruto's face paled. No way in hell Sarada would send her father nudes of them. They'd already gotten busted by Granny Chiyo. "N-no sir. I don't…"

His brow quirked up. "The lake, and your home. What else would she send us? Sakura even said she might want to visit sometime."

"Oh!" Boruto grinned, relief washing over him. "That makes sense. The cherry blossom trees will be in full bloom soon, maybe we could all go sometime? Or if you would like to take her alone, that's fine."

Sasuke nodded and they soon arrived in the living room. There were six people, and Boruto had to guess who was whom. The two tall men that stood by the corner next to Sarada he guessed were the two overprotective uncles. They were glaring at him, after all.

"Everyone, this is Boruto," Sarada introduced him and walked over. "My grandparents, Mama's side," she pointed at the pair on the sofa, who wore bright grins on their faces. From my Papa's side," she gestured across, and there were two more reserved looking people, both with dark hair and eyes. "And my uncles, Itachi and Shisui," she leaned in and whispered to him, "Papa's side also."

Nervous or not, Boruto managed a sincere smile. It made him happy to know Sarada had such a large and loving family. "Hello, it's nice to meet everyone." It wouldn't be easy, but he had even more reason to want their acceptance now.

It didn't matter that he and Sarada weren't actually together.

They were having a _baby!_

He squeezed Sarada's hand before walking closer to her uncles and extending his hand. "Itachi and Shisui, right?" He asked, eyes shifting between the two, the same genuine smile on his lips. Deep down though, he was beyond scared.

Itachi shook his hand, although his face was stoic. "Itachi. Nice to meet you, Boruto." His handshake was firm, clearly all about business.

Shisui was all smiles, but his grip on Boruto's hand was a little _too_ tight. " _Charmed_. I'm Shisui."

Sarada pouted at her uncles, and they turned their gazes towards her, teasing smiles on their faces. She pulled Boruto away, towards the food. "Can we eat now?" she asked her mom, who only agreed.

"Thanks." Boruto whispered so that only she could hear him. Those two uncles gave Sasuke a run for his money.

Everyone transitioned to the dining room and took their seats. The table was set, the food smelled delicious and Sarada's eyes were sparkling as she looked over everything. Boruto smiled at the sight, imagining that no food compared to her mother's, at least in her opinion. She was the first to start piling her plate, giggling about how all of her favorites were prepared.

Sarada ate everything in sight with gusto. So much that Sakura was grinning from ear to ear, as were her grandmothers, giggling to themselves about how much Sarada used to love eating everything they prepared.

"You're eating a lot more than usual, Kiddo," Shisui teased. "Careful or you'll gain even more weight."

Sarada nearly dropped her fork.

"Shisui," Itachi shot him a warning glare.

"Whaaat?" He whined, "Not saying it doesn't look good, okay? She's _glowing._ "

"As always," Itachi agreed, a smile on his face.

"That's my baby," Sakura grinned. "Please, Boruto, eat more. You barely touched your food."

"Oh, forgive me. Sarada and I just stopped for food an hour ago…" he trailed off, impressed by how much Sarada could eat. It really made him happy.

"You already ate?" Mikoto asked, looking at Sarada. This was her second plate. "I've never seen you eat so much, Sarada."

"I've been stressed," Sarada croaked out. "New position and pressure, you know?" She laughed nervously and drank water.

"Oh, that's right!" Kizashi laughed. "Never did get to congratulate you. Oh, you always make us so proud. How's it going for you? Other than it being stressful."

"Even more stressful now," Sarada muttered under her breath, behind the glass of water. As she put it down she smiled. "Challenging, but definitely worth it. I've been wanting this for years."

"Well deserved," her grandmother smiled. "And you're her boss, right, Boruto? We've heard so much about you."

"Well, not anymore," Boruto said with a smile. "Her new position will be in full effect tomorrow, but I'll still be helping her out until she's comfortable with everything."

"I don't think it will take that long, then," Fugaku finally said a word. "When are you leaving, then?"

"Whenever she tells me she doesn't need me anymore." Boruto shrugged.

"Never," Sarada replied, and then turned to face Boruto. "Don't leave me," she added quietly.

Boruto's heart melted and he moved his hand to rest over hers. "As if I would." He said, smiling brightly at her.

"I'm pretty sure your grandfather meant leaving the company," Mikoto said, a sly smile on her face. "I suppose this means you've got more responsibilities to handle on your own starting tomorrow, hmm?"

"This is so mushy," Shisui muttered and then said to Itachi, "Next thing you know they'll be calling each other ' _baby_ '."

"Baby?" Boruto blanched. "What baby?"

Sarada kicked him under the table, to make him stop talking. "No, he calls me Princess," Sarada winced, admitting it to her whole family. "I don't have a nickname for him." She was blushing furiously.

Sakura cooed. "Oh, that's so sweet!"

"Tch. Far from it." Sasuke argued, rolling his eyes.

Dinner ended without any more hiccups and Boruto was relieved he held in the word vomit. As much as he didn't want to let go of her hand, Sarada wandered into the kitchen, asking her Mama if she had any strawberries or chocolates… or both. It was wildly specific. Nutella. It had to be Nutella.

"Let me see if I have any," Sakura walked into the kitchen, opening up the pantry.

Sasuke wasn't far behind, watching his two girls. "She's been eating too much," Sasuke muttered, mostly to himself. "She never eats this much… and turned down black tea."

Boruto smiled and tugged Sarada to his side. "Well, it's only natural considering she's eating for two now."

Sasuke slowly turned his head to face Boruto, eyes darkening, voice lowering. "For _two_?"

Sarada froze and held on to Boruto's arm. "Papa, please…" she whispered.

"What's going on?" Sakura walked over to them, a concerned look on her face and she held onto her husband's arm. "Sasuke-kun, are you alright?"

"I… I-I'm sorry." Boruto stammered, knowing he'd just made a huge mistake.

Sasuke was going to kill him and he was the one person who could get away with it.

"Mama…" Sarada looked at her with big, fearful eyes. "I'm sorry."

Sakura let go of her husband and stood in front of her. "Sarada, what are you apologizing for?" Her hands came up to cradle her face, tears pooling and she wiped them away. "What happened?"

"I'm pregnant."

Boruto was sweating bullets and wanted nothing more than to bolt. Sasuke looked livid but in a calm way that was far more frightening. He couldn't leave Sarada though. Maybe she wasn't his girl, but she was the woman carrying his child. That made her his by default and he would stand by her no matter what.

Maybe he wasn't so sorry after all.

"If you want to punch me, fine. But don't be upset with Sarada. Please." Boruto said, not letting his eyes leave those smoldering obsidians glaring at him.

Sarada was shaking, and Sakura was holding on to her. "Oh, don't be sorry," she assured her. "We're not mad, right, Sasuke-kun?" Those green eyes stared pointedly at him.

"Hn." Sasuke agreed, but he wasn't fooling Boruto. The hostility in his eyes was plain to see, at least until he looked to Sarada instead. His gaze softened drastically and then he smiled at her and raised his hand to tap her forehead with his middle and index fingers.

The gesture seems small to Boruto, but it had Sarada choking on a sob and flinging herself at Sasuke who didn't waste a second embracing her lovingly. Boruto breathed a sigh of relief, then, feeling as if he'd dodged a bullet. However, it wasn't over. There was still a chance those two scary uncles would put an end to him.

The relief was short-lived as Sakura pulled Sarada away to speak privately with her, leaving Boruto alone with Sasuke. The man's smile had died the instant his daughter was out of sight and Boruto found it difficult to maintain eye contact when Sasuke's gaze was so frightening. Maybe he was going to punch him now.

"Um… I know this looks bad but… I'll take care of her, ya know." Boruto told him, swallowing his nerves as best he could. This may have been unplanned, but he would do the right thing so he hoped nobody would hold it against him.

"You _better_ ," he glowered, lowering down his voice so the other guests don't hear, but it didn't water down his lethal tone. "How exactly do you plan to _take care of her_ if you don't have a job?"

It didn't sound like Sasuke believed him one bit.

The way the man came at him was so intimidating Boruto couldn't help but take a step back from him. "Don't have a job?" He frowned, feeling offended to be doubted right from the beginning. "My position at Ichiraku Ramen Corp was never my main source of income. That was only temporary. I'm an investor. You really don't need to worry about _that._ " Boruto was proud of himself and how hard he'd worked to do well for himself so he would defend himself as much as he needed to.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at him. "Then shall I help you pick out a wedding date?" As if to prove he was serious, he pulled out his phone and opened the calendar.

 _Shit._ "Wait, isn't that… that's something between Sarada and me." Boruto said, thanking the heavens he didn't remind the man that he and Sarada weren't together. That would have been the _worst._

He tucked his phone back into his pocket. "Are you saying she doesn't want to marry you?"

He was asking questions Boruto didn't really have answers to, but he couldn't just brush them off either. "I-I don't know. She hasn't said that."

Just when he thought his gaze couldn't get any darker—it did. "Have you ever asked?"

Boruto paled at that and took another step back. "N-not exactly."

He took a dangerous step forward, body tensing and jaw clenching. Now Boruto knew where Sarada got her scary side from. "Do you even _intend_ to?"

 _They aren't even together._ Boruto held his hands up, ready to shield himself from any possible attacks. "You think Sarada wants to?" He squeaked, not sure what else to say. He hadn't had time to think that far ahead!

Slowly, Sasuke straightened his posture, lips coming into a fine line, thinking about his question. It was the same look Sarada had when she was deep in thought, or conflicted about what to eat for lunch. His eyes darted behind him and responded quietly, "You can ask her yourself. But don't be mistaken, Boruto," he placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered to his ear, "I _can_ get away with murder if you make her unhappy."

Boruto gulped, having already made that deduction. It was only scarier when Sasuke admitted it though. "I know. I know that… but I want to make her happy."

"You should if you know what's good for you."

In his line of sight, he saw Sarada's overprotective uncles look their way and whisper among themselves, but made no move to walk over. Thank god. Even better, Sarada returned with her mother and Boruto was quick to shift to her side and distance himself from Sasuke.

Sakura opened up her arms at him and didn't wait one second to engulf him in a bone-crushing hug… not really sure if she wanted to be sweet or if it was a disguised threat that she was _strong_. "I'm so excited," she smiled, keeping her voice low. "You _will_ take good care of Sarada, won't you?" It didn't even sound like a question, despite her smiling face.

"I will," Boruto promised, even though the words came out in a wheeze. He would do his best because even if they weren't together, Sarada was precious to him.

Sakura released Boruto, her smile seeming sincere enough to put him at ease. He looked over to Sarada, finding himself smiling as well as he took her hand and raised it to his lips to kiss it softly. He really meant what he said. No matter what, Boruto would take care of her and he hoped she knew that too.


	38. Reactions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content.
> 
> We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

This was either the worst or best birthday month ever. Whichever it was, it was all a blur. From transitioning to Marketing Manager to Marketing Director, Boruto taking her to meet his parents and spending an amazing weekend with him, to finding out she was pregnant and telling her parents—at her birthday dinner. It was all too much, a whirlwind of emotions and things to do, and she thought she would be swept away if it all wasn't for Boruto.

He was always there for her, standing right next to her, holding her hand.

Boruto was beside himself with glee when he told her about her promotion, didn't hide her from his family, didn't disappear when they both found out she was pregnant and didn't run from her father, despite his threats.

That last bit really took some guts. None of her exes ever came to meet him the second time, and this was his third time meeting her father. Thankfully, her mother was a lot kinder and sweeter. Sarada thought she would cry when she told them, afraid she had let them down.

Sakura wasn't going to have any of it and talked to her separately after Sasuke assured her he wasn't angry.

Once the door was shut, Sakura squealed and squeezed Sarada's face between her hands, green eyes sparkling with excitement. "My baby's having a baby!"

Sarada felt so confused, but also relieved. Other than the gynecologist, her mother was the only one who seemed excited about… all of _this._

"You're not angry?" Sarada asked, face still squished in her mother's hands.

"Oh, darling, of course not!" Sakura was grinning from ear to ear. "I already had a feeling this would happen, but oh, so soon!" Finally, she let go of her face and sat them down on the bed. "When did you find out?"

"Just this morning," Sarada confessed. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you right away."

Sakura waved her off. "How long are you in?"

"Six to eight weeks…" answering all of these questions made it feel more real for Sarada. She covered her mouth with her hands. "I can't believe it."

"It's amazing to carry life in you, Sarada. Your body is going to change so much," It looked like Sakura was going to launch into a doctor-like speech, but she stopped herself. "But never mind that, I want to know what you think, and what you want."

 _What I want?_ "I don't know."

"You can always do as you please, it's your choice."

Just the thought of losing her baby made her want to cry. "No, I don't want that."

Sakura smiled kindly and tucked her hair behind her ear. "How did Boruto take the news? Was he happy?"

Boruto… "I don't know," she whispered. "But he told me we'd be okay."

"I'm sure you will be, darling. But if you need me and your father, we'll be here, okay?"

Sarada felt like crying all over again. Her mother had always been her rock, supporting her and protecting her from everything. The kind of woman she always wanted to be. She wrapped her arms around her. "Thank you, mama."

Sakura hugged her back, swaying her from side to side. Sarada could _hear_ her smile. "Oh, my baby…" She squealed. "I'm going to have a grandchild!"

For the first time that day, Sarada laughed. "Y-yeah, I guess you will, Mama."

.

.

.

The car ride home wasn't half as quiet as the ride was going to her parents' house. Her heart had felt a lot lighter after talking to her mother, and her father gave her the softest of smiles when they left, but she did not miss the glare that was shot at Boruto, and Sarada could only imagine what they talked about when she and her mother spoke separately.

Boruto was whining about how scary her uncles were, especially her father. He even mentioned feeling that Sakura was also scary in her own right. It made her laugh some more. But despite all of that, he didn't run away, and he was still here, driving her back to his house and holding her hand. His expressions were so exaggerated, the way he tried to copy Sasuke's glare and voice when he told Boruto he could actually get away with murder.

 _Oh, Papa._ He was too much sometimes but always meant well. If he didn't kill Boruto on the spot, that meant he might actually like him. Maybe.

After laughing a good deal at his plight, she held his hand to her cheek and thanked him for the day. Confessing that she couldn't have gotten through it without him.

Once they reached his house and after pulling into the driveway, Sarada sat still and waited for him to come by and open her door. Boruto held his hand out for her to hold and help her out of the car. They both walked up to his front door, hand in hand.

"Oh, _shit._ I almost forgot!" Boruto turned to her the instant they stepped onto his doorstep. "I did get you a little something."

Sarada jumped from his sudden exclamation. "I told you not to get me anything."

"I know, but I didn't listen." He snickered as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He held it up with a smile and Sarada blinked at it, realizing it was a single key and the pink keychain not only had her name on it but his as well. "Move in with me."

A soft gasp escaped her lips, and tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. "Boruto…" she whispered, still feeling so overwhelmed. She had given him a key to her apartment just a few days ago, but that key only had her name on it. This time, the key he was offering had _both_ their names, making good with his promise that he wouldn't leave her. Even after finding out she was pregnant, he still wanted her. "Really?"

"Really." He nodded, grinning at her and holding out the key for her. "I figured we'd be missing each other when we stop working together… so why not? And now… we're having a baby."

A tear finally fell down her cheek, but she smiled at him, taking the key and giving him a hug. "Thank you. I love it." Things were definitely looking up, and she was happy to have him stick around. When they pulled away, Sarada looked at the key again and inserted it into the lock, giving it a twist and heard a satisfying click. She pushed the door open, and finally, they were home.

.

.

.

That weekend, Boruto called his parents, asking them to come over to his house for lunch. Sarada was busy preparing and cooking, that Boruto had to make her sit down, not wanting her to overwork herself.

"I'm pregnant, not disabled," she snapped.

"You're… pregnant?"

Both of them slowly turned to the three people who had just come in the door, holding on to Tupperware filled with food. Hinata was shaking so much, Sarada was afraid she would let go and drop the food. Himawari had dropped the lollipop she was holding on to, and Naruto's jaw fell to the floor.

Boruto and Sarada froze. "Umm…" Sarada didn't even know how to begin to explain. This was not how they wanted to tell them. Not in the slightest bit.

"S-surprise!" Boruto tried to cover it up, but his eyes screamed panic.

The shock brought about a long and tense silence until Himawari screamed.

"What?!" Her arms flailed around, eyes wide. "I'm going to be an _aunt_?!"

"Like… there's going to be a baby?" Naruto mumbled, trying to come to terms with the news while his wife stood there, mouth hanging open much like him.

"Sarada-chan!" Himawari jumped over to her, flinging her arms around her neck and hugging her tight. "I'm so happy! It's about time Boruto settles down… I knew you would make it happen."

"Pregnant… with a _baby?"_ Naruto was still at a loss. "I thought I was too young for this…"

"Well, you're not. Too bad." Boruto huffed, crossing his arms.

"Yes," Sarada responded, cheeks tinted pink from all the attention. "We just found out and wanted to let you three be one of the first to know… sorry, but my parents found out first."

"So you're finally going to get married?" Himawari pressed excitedly, blue eyes sparkling.

"We're getting a baby," Boruto corrected.

Himawari's gaze snapped to him, blue eyes instantly ablaze. "You're _not_ getting married?"

Naruto looked down at the container in his hands and he slowly opened it in the most awkward way. He reached in, grabbing a strawberry and then threw it at Boruto, whacking him right in the forehead with it. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

" _Ow!"_ Boruto groaned, rubbing his forehead where he'd been hit.

"Naruto, I told you about throwing food," Hinata whispered, but her soft tone was strangely concerning.

"I'm gonna kill you." Himawari glared coldly at her brother, raising a clenched fist that had him hiding behind Sarada.

"You can't," he argued. "Sarada needs me… and our baby does too."

Sarada held her hands up, a nervous smile on her face. "Maybe we should all sit down and have a bite first before talking about it more."

Another strawberry hit Boruto right between his eyes, much harder this time, but surprisingly… it wasn't Naruto who threw it.

It was Hinata.

" _Mom?!_ " Boruto gawked, not believing she actually threw a strawberry at him.

"We'll need to have a word. After we eat…" she said before looking at Sarada and smiling the most angelic smile. "You're right, dear. Food will help us calm down."

Tension hung in the air during lunch, as well as a mixture of high emotions. Once things were clarified, the Uzumakis seemed happy and congratulated the two of them. Offering help, in whatever form, shall they ever need it.

Sarada thought they were already over it, but Naruto and Himawari still glared at Boruto, telling him to straighten up before going. Hinata then invited him to come over, too, to _chat_ about things. He visibly paled and hid behind Sarada. She only laughed and patted his head, relieved that his parents were generally okay with it.

.

.

.

Come Monday, Sarada told herself that she had to tell her team. The rest of the friend group could wait, but she felt like she owed it to Chocho and Inojin to tell them first. Not wanting Boruto to be around when she did, she waited until lunch and gave him an absurd request for what she wanted to eat and blamed it on her craving. Despite him being pouty about it, he still left the office to get it for her, kissing her forehead before leaving her office.

After a few minutes, she called the two into her office, feeling even more nervous to tell them rather than telling Boruto's family. Sarada knew they weren't going to take it half as well.

Chocho and Inojin came into her office. Chocho holding on to a bag of chips and munching, while Inojin was sucking on a lollipop.

"What is it, boss?" Inojin asked, hands laced behind his head, looking bored. "We should be at lunch right around now." The white lollipop stick moved around as he spoke, and continued to do so even after.

Chocho agreed and continued munching loudly.

Right. Lunch. Well, if they were in a rush, she figured there was no reason beating around the bush.

"You're right. I won't keep you. I just wanted to announce something." Sarada straightened her posture and prepared herself to drop the bomb. "I'm pregnant."

"You're wha—" Inojin sucked a little too hard, and white stick disappeared into his mouth. His hands came up to his throat and he struggled to cough out the candy.

Chocho dropped her bag of chips and _screamed_. She kept on doing so, until she walked around Sarada's desk, came up to her and slapped her cheek and continued to scream some more.

Sarada was shocked. The slap didn't hurt as much, but it still stung. What she couldn't believe more was that Chocho _actually_ slapped her. And Inojin… was he okay?

Inojin was now kneeling on the ground, _still_ choking.

"How could you?!" Chocho placed her hands on her shoulders and shook her. "Why didn't you use protection? How could you be so irresponsible?! And oh my god," she leaned in close, "Boruto's the father, isn't he? He got you pregnant! He got you pregnant right _here_ ," she pointed at the desk, her expression darkening. " _Didn't he?_ "

"That is some sick shit, Sarada!" Inojin was still on the floor, but the lollipop had been dislodged from his throat. Ah good, he was still alive. "What the _fuck_?!" Okay, maybe it was better when he was choking and not talking.

Her face turned as red as a tomato, and she hid her face behind her hands. This was exactly what she was expecting. "I know, I'm sorry! It just slipped."

"You better be!" Chocho barked. "I can't believe you. This is so not like you!"

"Just _slipped_ ," Inojin muttered under his breath. "What kind of dipshit doesn't use protection? Oh wait—" he looked at her, " _you two._ "

Sarada felt like she was going to die from the humiliation. They were right. She was careless. "I'm sorry!"

With her third apology, the two calmed down, ceasing their yelling and sarcasm. They sat down and talked about it a little more, with Sarada explaining how she found out that both their families knew, and now they were living together.

"I better be invited to the wedding!" Chocho huffed.

"The wedding invitation and logo will be my gift," Inojin offered. "Where are you planning to have it? Any color themes?"

 _Wedding_? Why did people keep asking about their wedding? They weren't even together.

"There are no plans," she stated simply. "But we will be caring for the baby. Together."

Chocho's mouth twisted and she jumped up from the chair. "How can you _say_ that?!" She was furious and worked up all over again. "You've told your families, living together, and you're _not_ getting married?"

"That is some messed up shit," Inojin nodded. "Hasn't he asked you yet?"

"We're not even together," she admitted, and then covered her ears because Chocho just let out the loudest scream she had ever heard.

.

.

.

Telling everyone wasn't easy, but Sarada preferred people hear it from her rather than from anyone else. Some people took it well, others didn't say a thing, while some also just said their congratulatory remarks to be polite. It was weird, having to feel that she needed to tell them, what more to explain.

The week was emotionally exhausting, and knowing it would be Boruto's last week with her also made her sad. As much as she didn't want him to stop being with her at work, he was already starting to work with Mitsuki, talking on the phone more often-talking to a friend that she had never met. It wasn't that she was jealous or anything. Just curious. They would be working together a lot, after all.

On her first day without Boruto, he drove her to work and walked her to her desk. Sarada clung on to him, stealing a lingering kiss before letting him leave.

"You're being so clingy, Sarada," Boruto said, though his tone was teasing and there was a smirk on his lips.

Although she pouted and hated he was teasing her, she still kept her arms around his middle, not wanting to let go. "Hmph."

After a few more kisses and whining, Sarada finally let him go and sat on her desk, begrudgingly getting to work. Fighting off the sleepiness wasn't fun, neither were the bouts of nausea that were happening a lot more than she would like. Her craving for coffee was a lot stronger, and it took a lot of willpower for her to only have one cup a day. Even having just one cup a day was already a lengthy argument with her mother and the gynaecologist.

It was nearly lunchtime, and Sarada was struggling to think of what to eat. It was a battle between sushi and ice cream or chocolate syrup and steak… all on the same plate. Just thinking about which one she wanted was already making her head hurt, and her tummy grumbling.

Or maybe… something a little more familiar.

While she was thinking over her options, her office door opened and in walked Boruto with a bag that she recognized immediately. He was smiling as he carried over the bag and set it on her desk. "Hungry?" He asked as he bent over and kissed her cheek.

"Boruto!" The excitement and how fast she got up from her chair was almost embarrassing. Almost. Sarada threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, forgetting her hunger, and focused on him being here with her again. "I didn't expect to see you until six." Her eyes shifted to the brown bag. "And you got me food."

"Surprise." He laughed and wound his arms around her waist. "I didn't want my princess missing me too much."

She was still clinging on to him, not making a move to let go. "Thank you."

Just a few months ago, she was texting her mother she hated him, and now, she couldn't get enough and didn't want to let go.

Boruto rubbed her back and kissed her temple, not letting go until she did. And settled back on her desk to eat. It wasn't exactly what she was craving for but Boruto brought it for her, and she wasn't going to let it go to waste. "Not what I wanted, but I'll eat it."

She ate all of it.

"Must have been what you wanted." Boruto mused as he got up and walked around her desk, sitting on it to be a little closer. "You ate so fast… still have a while left on your lunch hour."

Sarada cocked her head to the side. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

"I could show you better than I can tell you," He said, fingers ghosting along her cheek and brushing over her lips.

A fire ignited at the pit of her belly. Sarada licked her lips. "Show me."

Boruto stood up, grinning smugly as he walked back around her desk and to the door, locking it before turning back around. His hands raised to his neck, loosening his tie while he made his way back towards her. Once the tie was removed, he started unbuttoning his shirt and Sarada bit her lip.

"How about this time, you bend over here," he suggested once the last button was undone, hand splaying out on her desk and rubbing the smooth surface.

Heat rose from the back of her neck all the way to her cheeks, until the top of her ears. He hasn't even touched her yet, but just seeing his open shirt was already doing things to her. Sarada bit her lower lip and stood from her chair, hands roaming to feel his chest and abs. Her want increasing with every stroke. "Showing me something new today?" She raised a brow, a smug smile on her face, eager to begin.

His hands moved to her plump backside, squeezing as he pulled her against him, showing her he was already getting hard. He didn't respond with words, instead he kissed her hard, coaxing her lips apart and sliding his tongue into her mouth within seconds. She was already clinging to him, nails unconsciously scraping across his shoulders and chest. It felt as if she'd just gotten lost in his electrifying kiss whenever he pulled away and turned her around, pushing her to lay her front on the desk.

Boruto knelt behind her, hands roaming down her skirt-covered thighs and then over her stockings. "Damn, what fine legs." He hummed cheekily, loving the way she trembled in anticipation.

Sarada kept still and as quiet as possible as he unzipped her skirt and pulled it down to her knees along with her stockings and panties. He still took his time caressing her legs and ass, admiring the view for far too long in her book. When he leaned in and started kissing her legs, she felt he was going to do more teasing than she wanted and it frustrated her immediately. Her hips swayed from side to side, trying to entice him into hurrying it along but he was unphased.

He just kept taunting her with that damn mouth and glorious tongue until she was panting and on the verge of begging him to take her. Her frustration only grew when she felt him smiling, not bothering to hide his amusement at her suffering.

"Boruto," she whined, turning to face him, and frowning at his smiling face. "Get on with it already." It wasn't even a request.

"Relax, princess. You know I'll take care of you." He spoke in a husky tone that had chills sweeping over her skin. His touch felt good, she loved having his hands all over her, stroking and kneading. It made her crazy, leaving her with that desperate need to have him, yet he denied her.

"I don't feel it right now," Sarada whimpered. "You're just teasing me."

"What's your rush?" Boruto chuckled and then sucked on the back of her thigh.

There was no real rush, but she wanted her release and she wanted it now. Feeling his mouth on her leg was killing her, and she threw a glare at him. " _Boruto_. Why did you have to unbutton your shirt if you're just going to tease me?"

"For your pleasure only, Princess." He admitted shamelessly before peppering kisses closer to her inner thigh.

She growled, but it ended up being a moan when he reached a little closer to her sex. Boruto smirked at her reaction and decided to take pity on her. The last thing he wanted was for her to really get upset, so he spread her legs a little further and breathed across her purposely, letting her know his intentions. It made her shake with anticipation.

Thankfully she didn't have to say anything more before his tongue was on her where she wanted it most, drawing lazy circles around her entrance and then slowly licking towards her clit. She was really sensitive, enough that the first touch had her whole body jerking and a strangled moan falling from her lips.

"Hush now. If you can't keep it down, we won't be able to play. It's not after hours, ya know."

Throwing another glare his way and a low scowl, Sarada bit her lower lip, doing her best to keep her voice down. It was going to be a struggle, but she definitely did not want anyone knowing what she was doing in her office.

Boruto knew she wouldn't be able to keep quiet for long, but he supposed most people were either out or in the canteen, so if they hurried they would be safe. Focusing on her was easy, he enjoyed it because it was satisfying for him. Seeing her so lost in pleasure really did a number on him, but it was painfully easy to maintain his concentration, to move his tongue in all the right ways to have her squirming and whimpering his name.

The closer Sarada got to her orgasm, the louder she grew but Boruto didn't bother stopping to chide her for it. He needed to finish her off before her team returned, so he lapped at her sex a little firmer, suckling and kissing in between until her moans were turned silent. She was holding her breath, her brain not helping her remember how to breathe properly anymore. All she knew was that she needed to come. It was _right there_ and if he so much as dared to stop, she would kick his ass.

He didn't though, he gave as good as he could, bringing her to and over the edge as if he was as hungry for her release as she was. She tasted so good he didn't want to stop, but he did when he knew she was too sensitive to take a single more lick. Leaning back a bit, Boruto wiped his mouth with his thumb and then pulled her panties and stockings back up in place, grabbing her skirt next to do the same to it.

Releasing a dragged out mixture of a moan and whimper, Sarada stayed bent over her desk, eyes heavy and looking at her lover, doing her best to even out her breathing. Although she wanted more, risking making any more noise than she already made would be too dangerous. All she wanted to do was go home and lie in bed with Boruto, take a nap and do it all over again.

Work was, as Shikadai put it, such a drag.

Watching Boruto button up his shirt was already making her miss him. Not that she'd admit that out loud. He fiddled with his tie, and she got up to do it for him, just as she did that morning.

"My dick is gonna be hard forever now." He rolled his eyes, but he seemed oddly happy about it. But then his phone rang and when he pulled it out of his pocket, his face fell. "Never mind it's already gone." He sighed and silenced the phone, sliding it back in his pocket. Then he smiled and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. "That's Mitsuki, I've gotta run. See you at six, okay?"

She held onto his tie, and pulled him closer to her for another kiss before fixing it up and letting him go. A quick look at her clock, and she sighed. It wouldn't be for a few more hours until she would see him again, but she was already looking forward to it.


	39. Planning Ahead

"What do you mean you're not giving me any money?" Mitsuki turned around in his chair so quickly he almost fell out of it.

Boruto stood just behind him, glaring at the mess of a graph on his computer, hands in the pockets of his slacks. "Do I look like an idiot to you? Clean that shit up and make it presentable. Then maybe we can talk."

"Boruto."

"Mitsuki."

"You've got some nerve coming here smelling like pus—"

Boruto's hand flew out of his pocket and smacked Mitsuki upside the head before he could finish his sentence and he glared at him. "Watch your tongue."

" _Maybe you should watch yours,"_ Mitsuki grumbled, sulking as he looked back to his graph. "I don't see what the problem is here."

"It's nothing _but_ a problem," Boruto explained simply. "Your organizational skills are basically nonexistent and you're not asking for pocket change here, ya know."

Mitsuki sulked some more, lower lip jutting out as he looked at the graph again, working out the numbers. Investing in a startup was always a risk, and Boruto had to think twice about investing so much now that he had two people to consider for every decision he made. It wasn't long until Mitsuki realized his mistake and did another run down, sighing that it wasn't as promising as he had hoped, it was still workable, but they would have to take a less aggressive approach and perhaps join in later when the company was more stable.

"With the way things look, I'm willing to invest half of what you were hoping. No more. If things go well, I may consider adding the other half. It's just too risky for me right now."

He had a baby on the way. A mother to that baby. And a father to that mother who already wanted to kill him. No way was he putting himself in any compromising situations.

"Fine." Mitsuki agreed, knowing Boruto wouldn't be swayed no matter how much he tried to convince him. "We're still on for our project though, right?"

Boruto nodded slowly as he checked his phone for the nth time. "Yes, I've already put the money aside in its own account. Tomorrow we will go down to the bank together so we can get your access."

"I'm hoping to launch on the first of next month."

"Have Hōki check over your shitty graphs before you even think of presenting one to me again," Boruto said in a tone that said he wouldn't be taking any nonsense but Mitsuki only rolled his eyes.

"If you're going to nag me can you at least get off your phone?" Mitsuki asked, fingertips drumming on his desk.

Boruto frowned and put his phone back in his pocket. "I have somewhere to be at six."

"It's only four."

"Thanks for the reminder, bastard." Boruto scoffed, trying not to pout. Time was sitting still and he was just ready to see Sarada and take her home. "Are you going to start working or just argue with me?"

"Fine. I'll call Hōki over, I have a few more of these _shitty_ graphs."

"That would be wise." Boruto smiled to himself and turned on his heel to leave, ignoring Mitsuki's second reminder of the time. _As if he hadn't been checking his phone every other minute._

.

.

.

When he arrived at Ichiraku Ramen Corp, he still had an hour before Sarada's shift would be over and as badly as he wanted to storm into her office, he forced himself not to and instead stormed into his dad's. Konohamaru was there too, instantly giving Boruto a look that said he was still mad.

He'd been giving the blond the silent treatment for a week now.

"Ah, Boruto," Naruto grinned and waved him over.

Boruto walked over, taking notice of the pamphlet on Naruto's desk that he was pointing at. "What's that?"

"Hinata told me to give this to Sarada. You're looking for a new place to buy that's more kid-friendly, right?"

That was unexpected, making Boruto frown and look at his dad in confusion. "My house isn't kid-friendly?" He'd always thought it was on the nicer side—which was why he bought it, to begin with.

"Don't be ridiculous. What land do you have—not even an acre? How is my grandson supposed to stretch his legs in such a cramped yard?"

 _Grandson?!_ "It's a _boy?!_ " Boruto gasped. This was news to him.

"I don't know… _maybe."_ Naruto shrugged. "Or maybe it's a girl… or twins."

"I quit!" Konohamaru snapped as he got to his feet, turning to walk out.

"You can't _quit_." Naruto snorted.

"I can as long as you're talking about this baby business that I had to find out through employee gossip."

"Come on, Big Bro, you _know_ the shitfest I've been dealing with lately." Boruto tried to reason with Konohamaru.

"Yeah, try telling that to Hanabi. I'm the one who has to live with her."

"You're the one who went running to her without even giving us a chance to talk to you guys!"

"Alright, let's just take a breath," Naruto said with a loud sigh.

"Tell him that!" Boruto and Konohamaru yelled at the same time and then scowled at each other.

Naruto tusked and shook his head at the two of them. "Boruto, you need to make things right. I'm tired of seeing Konohamaru pout and listening to your mother rant about Hanabi ranting. _Do the right thing."_

Boruto couldn't seem to figure out what the right thing was anymore. Ever. "Alright, damn. I'm sorry. Let me talk to Sarada and see about having you over for dinner Saturday."

"Great, I'm free after lunch." Naruto beamed.

"Dad… I was talking to Big Bro."

"Oh…"

Boruto sighed, feeling bad that Naruto's excitement has died so quickly. "Maybe we can _all_ have dinner. Just let me talk to Sarada first."

.

.

.

"Finally." Boruto breathed once he stepped into his home, Sarada tucked against his side. "I thought we'd never make it."

She tiptoed and kissed his cheek. "Rough day?" Sarada rubbed his tummy and grinned. "Hungry? I'll cook something good."

"I feel like so much happened. Like today was a whole week in itself." He sighed and pulled her into a hug. "You must be tired. Why don't you shower and I'll cook… breakfast."

"Or we can shower together," Sarada giggled. "We can order something so it'll be here when we finish up."

"Are you sure we'll be finished in time?" He smirked then.

Sarada leaned a little closer to him, a smug smile on her face. "You're right. We can order after."

"Smart girl."

They were nothing short of excited and eager as they hurried up the stairs together, giggling and stripping on their way. It seemed that they'd never be able to get enough of each other and they truly loved taking their time. They'd even run out of hot water long before they ever made it out of the shower.

Using a towel to dry herself with, Sarada picked up Boruto's deserted clothes on the floor. Something fell out of his back pocket, piquing her interest. It was a pamphlet for real estate in the suburbs a little farther out than his parents' home. "What's this," she muttered and opened it up, reading what the village had to offer, lot sizes and contact numbers for agents.

Boruto peeked over her shoulder to see what she was talking about and then sighed. It was now or never. "Dad gave me that… for you. Says we should consider buying a new place together, with more room for the baby."

Her eyes went wide and she looked at him, not really knowing what to say. "That sounds reasonable but really?" She held up the pamphlet. "The starting prices are outrageous."

"No, they're not." He frowned, taking a look just to make sure he wasn't mistaken. "You don't need to worry about that anyway. That's my job, okay?"

Sarada swallowed. "I know you told my parents you'll take care of me, but I can help, too. This baby is also my responsibility."

"Yes and I don't know if you realized this but… you're going to be the one pushing it out." Boruto snickered and flicked her nose when she glared at him. "You take care of that and I'll take care of everything else. No complaining."

Her lower lip jutted out and she rolled her eyes. " _Fine_."

Boruto ginned and then kissed her high on her cheek. "So then we should do this… maybe I'll sell this place after we're settled and we can use the money to start a savings account for the baby. Dad thinks it's a boy by the way."

She hummed and dug around the drawers for her panties. "That sounds good, or we can rent the house out. Use it as passive income." Once she put it on, she came back to his side and grinned. "Really? A boy? Mama wants one, too."

"That's a wise investment." Boruto agreed, already taking her back in his arms. "And I don't know… I suppose I don't really have a preference… as long as they're healthy, and look like you."

"Aww," Sarada wrapped her arms around him and grinned. "A boy that looks like me… then the baby will look a _lot_ like Papa."

"Well… maybe he can look like me too." Boruto said nervously. Now he was stuck with Sasuke for the rest of his life and just _how_ the _fuck_ did this happen?

"He'd be a very handsome boy, then." She rested her head on his chest and sighed. "Won't be until a few more weeks 'til we find out. I suppose we can have people bet on which gender and make some money, don't you think?" Sarada laughed and scooted them over to the dresser so she could pick her phone up and opened a delivery app. "I'm feeling pasta…" she muttered. "And sushi… and cake." After a few seconds of scrolling. "Oh, tacos." Sarada looked at him and asked. "That sound good?"

"Yes, Princess. Whatever you want." He smiled softly at her and then opened his underwear drawer to grab a pair.

"Okay," she perked up and clicked away to order _all_ of that, refusing to let go of him, even if Boruto struggled to put on his underwear.

Though it took him way longer than it should have, Boruto finally got his underwear on and then walked them down to his T-shirt drawer. He grabbed a plain white Tee for himself and then got a dark blue one for her. He set his shirt aside to pull hers down over her head and she begrudgingly removed her arms from him to slip them through the sleeves.

"You're so cute and clingy today." Boruto teased as he pinched her cheek and then struggled to get his own shirt on.

Sarada only grinned and continued to cling on to him. "Get used to it. You signed up for this."

"Oh, I did, huh?" He laughed. It hadn't happened like that exactly, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. "Shouldn't we at least go wait in the living room? You can sit on top of me down there for all I care. Actually, that sounds like a plan. Let's."

Later while they ate the _buffet_ Sarada ordered for them, they looked through the pamphlet and even more on his laptop. They weren't necessarily in a rush or anything, but there was really no need in wasting time. Once they did decide on a house, they could still need to make renovations and then there was the baby who would need a nursery decorated just for them. There was a lot to consider, so the sooner the better.

Boruto cleaned their mess once they finished and then started searching for another movie while Sarada scrolled on her phone until she suddenly stopped, gasped and leaned away from him. She was shielding her phone and he knew it, he just couldn't think of a reason for her to do that.

"What is it?" He asked, trying to peek at her phone.

"Nothing," her eyes were wide, and she pressed her phone's screen to her chest.

"Sarada," His eyes narrowed on her and then her phone. "What the fuck is it?" It couldn't be good if she was trying to hide it.

" _Nothing_!" She insisted.

"Hand it over," Boruto demanded, holding his hand out and flexing his fingers for it.

"No!" She refused. "Get your own phone! You follow Hima on Ninstagram, anyway." She smirked.

"Hima?" His heart dropped and he quickly scrambled to grab his phone and pull up the app. The first thing that showed on his feed was from his sister.

And it was a picture.

Of her. And _Inojin._

_On a date!_

Sucking on lollipops...

"What the fuck is this?" He wheezed and showed his screen to Sarada.

"A cute photo of Inojin and Hima," she grinned.

"On a _date?"_ Of all people, with _him?_

"Why not?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Her brow quirked up. "It's a photo of them having a lollipop together. I can hardly see what's wrong with it."

"It has _Inojin_ in it." That was the whole problem.

Sarada rolled her eyes. "He isn't _that_ bad, okay? Besides, he's been crushing on her before they even met. Thinks she's really cute."

"Have you not heard him speak?" He cocked his brows back at her. "He has no _respect."_

"You should see how he treats his mom," her lips quirked up into a smile and she kissed his cheek. "I would dare say he'll give you a run for your money."

" _No respect._ " Boruto grumbled to himself and set his phone aside. He didn't need to see any more. "Whatever." He finally sighed, hoping he couldn't be _that_ bad of Sarada thought so much of him. Even if he did have a nasty attitude. "Let's get you upstairs and in bed. If you want, I'll contact the realtor tomorrow so we can start looking at places."

Sarada accepted his help after he stood and offered it. She didn't really need it, but she never turned him down.

"Okay, okay," Sarada walked with him up the stairs and once she got in bed, tapped the space next to her. "Come lie down with me."

"I am." He smiled and tugged his shirt off before settling in next to her.

She was quick to wrap her arms around him, practically lying down on him and snuggling close. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips. "Comfy."

A big grin lit up his face and he kissed the top of her head before beginning to play with her hair. She was enough for him. She was soothing and sweet and made him never want to let go. He didn't think he ever would.

.

.

.

One thing that had changed with Sarada was her mood. It was the _hormones_ , he knew that, but damn couldn't they just settle down or something? Either she was ready to suffocate him with affection—or literally suffocate him and take him away from the earth. Boruto never knew what he was going to get. He had to watch what he said and what he did, make sure he wasn't stepping out of bounds at all times while also doing whatever he could to make her happy.

Honestly, it was still early and Sarada wasn't _that_ bad.

Boruto was just extra.

Still, every morning he drove her to work, walked her in and spared enough time to see Inojin and exchange some mild glares. Who did that guy think he was anyway? Boruto couldn't stand it and yet all he wanted was for Himawari to be happy—for Inojin to be _decent_ at least. That mouth on him was never going anywhere though.

Things with Mitsuki were going well, much cleaner now that he had Hōki doing more and Mitsuki wasn't drowning himself in work to make his decision-making skills any worse than they already were. Every time Boruto thought about those wanna-be graphs, he rolled his eyes and got a headache.

It took a few more days than Boruto wanted for the real estate agent to be able to meet with them. It worked out though, meeting on a Saturday afternoon when Sarada didn't have work and neither did he. Not that he couldn't be off any time he wanted, because he could.

They met her at the first home she suggested after Boruto explained what they were looking for. At least an _idea_ of what they were looking for. For some reason, they didn't talk much about it on the way to see the agent and the first house. They were too busy talking about other things. A lot of other, unimportant things that just kept them talking. Boruto couldn't lie and say he didn't miss being at work with her every day. Even though they were living together. And having a baby.

When he parked in the driveway of the first home, he looked at it for a second before looking to Sarada. She was staring at the home thoughtfully, but Boruto was ready to shut it down before they even got out of the car.

"I'm not living in a puke-colored house," He said without any hesitation. It was a hideous greenish color that made him nauseated just seeing it.

Sarada laughed at his comment and pinched his nose. "You can always have it repainted. Can't we at least see what's inside?"

"Ew." Boruto cringed, just imagining how the inside was painted. "I guess, but I'm not happy about it."

While Sarada rolled her eyes, he got out of the car to walk around and help her out. His hand took hers before he looked back to the house. There was a nice front porch that wrapped around the side and the place itself was honestly homey looking, but… _pukey._

"Who wants a house this color?" He muttered under his breath as they walked up the stone path to the front porch.

The agent was a tall man with a pale complexion. He wore a tailored suit and sunglasses. "Good afternoon, I'm Shino." He extended his hand to shake with Sarada and Boruto. They exchanged a few pleasantries before entering the house.

Shino started with the usual spiel, about how it was a good home for either a young or established family. "There are three bedrooms, but we can easily convert the space on the second floor to another should you want a guest room."

"Three is quite plenty," Sarada mused as she looked into the master's bedroom. "Don't you think so, Boruto?"

" _Three?"_ He huffed, no way was that enough. "I was thinking more like… at least five."

"At _least_?" Sarada didn't even bother hiding her shock. "A room for us, a guest and the baby. Three should be good. Four if you want an office."

Shino adjusted his sunglasses. "We have other houses on this street with four bedrooms."

"Minimum of five. I would like an office… but there could be other babies, ya know? What would we do when more come along, just buy another house? No. Let's think ahead."

Sarada blinked and looked like a beached fish. " _More kids_?"

Shino nodded his head. "That is a reasonable way of thinking. We also have homes with a family room on the second floor, perfect for a movie night with friends and family."

But his comment was ignored when Sarada stormed up to her not husband (not even boyfriend). "You want more kids when we're not even married? Just how many did you plan to have? I haven't even pushed this one out yet!" Her temper was rising, and the agent took a step back, hands in the air. His eyes quickly darted at their fingers and did find no rings on them. Not even for engagement.

Boruto huffed at her, hands on his hips. "Well if you wanted to get married all you had to do was tell me. Of course, I want at _least_ three but four sounds better."

Shino's face turned bright red as he watched a heated exchange. No one informed him that he was going to handle _these_ kinds of clients today.

Sarada's hands rubbed at her face. "Getting married isn't even the point yet. We had a baby by accident, okay. Fair, and that's fine but," her hands were going everywhere. " _Four_? You push the rest out."

"It's not an accident. Just… unplanned, okay?" Boruto shook his head and sighed loudly in the most exaggerated manner. "You act like you'll remember the pain of pushing it out. Mom says you'll only know the love you feel for the baby so relax. She did it twice. You can do it a few times or so…"

The agent coughed to hide his awkwardness. The two were still at it in the middle of the master's bedroom. Their voices were so loud that the other people passing by were starting to look into the house. The threats that Sarada threw at Boruto certainly didn't help, either.

"Maybe we should…" Shino coughed again. "Try another house. The one across the street is really flexible. It can be renovated to make up to five rooms when needed."

Sarada was still angry but stopped shouting. She nodded at the agent and walked right past Boruto, going down the stairs. The agent gave Boruto a tired smile and followed after her.

He wasn't going to back down and he was fuming. It wasn't easy to hold his tongue when the agent obviously didn't understand they were already pregnant. The baby was on its way and he didn't have time for things like renovations. This was a stressful time and he hadn't even started buying baby things yet.

As soon as Boruto and Sarada were in the car, he started it and stared at the dashboard. "Are you saying we shouldn't get one with five bedrooms? Better safe than sorry, don't you think?"

Sarada chewed on her lower lip for a while, before finally turning to face him. Her brows knit together and she sighed. "I can't argue with your reasoning but…" her voice dropped a bit. "I just feel like it's happening so fast. I'm not even showing yet and you're already thinking of more."

Blue eyes peeked over at her and Boruto sighed, reaching over to take her hand in his. "Calm down, Princess. I've always wanted a lot of kids. Wouldn't you want me to be honest about it? We don't have to rush it or anything… but it's still good to think ahead."

She squeezed his hand and nodded. "Okay."

"Good," he offered her a warm smile and finally pulled the car out of the driveway so they could check the next home. "I guess I'd be okay with some renovations in the future, but I just prefer not to have to do that."

Sarada nodded and looked out the window, watching the other houses go by and the families out on their yards. "That makes sense," she muttered. "The people here also seem nice."

"Yeah… it's a nice neighborhood for families." Boruto could think of Sarada and their baby just like that. His family. Whether they were together or not, married or not, they were a family.


	40. Furniture Shopping

The next few weeks were somewhat of a blur. From seeing house after house, after house, they finally settled on one in a village not far from the first house they visited. The yard was bigger, had a roomy garage, and Boruto ultimately won out, getting five bedrooms. It was a headache having to argue with him, and the renovation plans were something Sarada also didn't want to have to deal with. They showed their families the house before even putting in a down payment, and everyone loved it.

The only ones who weren't able to visit before the downpayment was her uncles and Sarada knew she had to meet with them to show them. Reluctantly, Sarada even asked them out to dinner after and asked for their help moving in once the house was turned over.

She was never afraid to call on her uncles for help, as they were always more than eager to come to her aid. No, she was hesitant this time around because out of the entire family, it was Itachi and Shisui who was the least excited about her current… relationship status. Which was nonexistent, because Sarada was _still_ single.

The house visit was fairly quick, and Shisui even joked to own a room. Of course, he had to pick the one with the best view of the yard. Sarada was happy to let him think so. "You're always welcome here, uncle Shisui."

"I know I am, kiddo." He pulled her in for a quick embrace before glaring at Boruto. "Right, Boruto?"

Boruto blinked at him, scratching the back of his head before averting his eyes. "Of course. _Always_."

Shisui was quick to turn his glare into a grin once Sarada looked at his face. "Looks great, kiddo. Perfect for raising kids."

"Can always use more Uchihas running around," Itachi added, tossing Boruto a not so subtle look.

She laughed nervously. "We haven't really decided that yet, actually."

The signature Uchiha stare was pointed at her, then hardened when they looked at Boruto.

"Still single, huh?" Shisui clicked his tongue. "Not good." He made his way down the stairs, and Itachi patted Sarada's head before following.

Her cheeks flushed and she looked away before slowly looking at Boruto with an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry. You know how they can get."

"Yeah, I know." He smiled back at her, looking surprisingly at ease. "Don't worry about it. We move at our own pace."

She smiled at him and took his hand in hers before leading him down the stairs, asking her uncles where they wanted to eat for dinner. "I haven't really been around near the town center here too much. Do you want to go look for a restaurant there?"

"Sounds good." Shisui nodded and headed for the car.

"You can choose what you're craving for, Sarada," Itachi smiled and followed Shisui.

They locked the door and got in the car, Sarada sighed right when Boruto hopped in. "I think they're still mad at you."

"Why?!" He sulked. "What did I do?"

She giggled and rubbed her tummy lightly. "You know why."

Boruto cocked a brow and then his face twisted into a prideful and pissed look. "Oh, _that._ Yeah, fine. They can be mad all they want."

" _Boruto,_ " she gave him a pointed stare. "It would be a lot easier for _all of us_ if you guys are okay with each other."

"I'm okay. Peachy. You should tell them that." He said as they got on the road. He took her hand as he always did, linking their fingers over the center console. "I don't know why they'd think I'm a bad guy."

A deep sigh escaped her mouth. He had a point, but so did her uncles. Sarada couldn't help but feel like they were also angry with her for letting them down, but Sakura was quick to tell her that wasn't how they felt at all. Showing them the house that Boruto paid for her and their baby wasn't enough for her uncles to know he would take care of her, and it stung her a bit.

Perhaps it was because they were taking the next steps without even talking about their status, which is why her uncles always assumed her baby would be an Uchiha. The topic had occurred to Sarada more than once, but she never really wanted to open the topic up, fearing it may be like opening up Pandora's Box.

The ride was quiet, and Boruto parked near a restaurant, her uncles were already waiting.

The town center was nice, full of shops and places to eat. The grocery also had a wide variety. It was nothing like what they had in the city, that was full of people and had a busy feeling to the place. The spaces were bigger, more families and kids in strollers, and less of the hustle and bustle. Having a baby was surely going to change her lifestyle soon enough.

"Craving for anything?" Itachi walked up to her. "Shisui found a place with chicken and waffles."

"Maybe not," Sarada hummed. "I'm not even that hungry." She then turned to Boruto and asked him, "What do you want to eat?"

"Thunder Burger," He answered immediately with a smile. "But what do you mean you aren't that hungry? It's been like… two hours."

Her lower lip jutted out into a pout but she ignored him. "I don't feel like eating, is all," she explained before tugging him towards the restaurant. Perhaps the reason why they chose this village was because it had a Thunder Burger branch nearby.

Itachi and Shisui didn't look too pleased with the restaurant of choice but didn't say anything about it. Sarada sat down to save their table and left the ordering to Boruto. Her two uncles followed him to the counter.

"You eat here often?" Shisui asked him.

"Oh yeah, all the time. It's my favorite." Boruto admitted shamelessly, excitedly even.

"Go figure," Shisui rolled his eyes and snickered. "Alright, what do you recommend, then? Itachi, you? I've never eaten here."

"Neither have I," Itachi admitted.

"There's nothing you won't like!" Boruto beamed. "Even the new lemon burger is great."

Shisui had no problem showing his disdain, but Itachi's face remained impassive. "I'll have something normal, please." Shisui laughed. "Anything with a patty and fries. Itachi?"

"Same."

Shisui patted Boruto's shoulder. "You order."

Boruto nodded and stepped up to the counter to order for the four of them. Sarada might have said she wasn't that hungry, but he was certain she would eat everything given to her. After he paid for the food, he looked back at the uncles with a small smile.

"Shouldn't take too long. It usually doesn't." He explained.

The two uncles sat across the two, watching Sarada slide over to give him some room. It didn't pass Itachi's eyes to see her reach out for his hand under the table, and a small smile forming on her lips once they connected. It was strange seeing the exchange, strange in the sense that Itachi hadn't seen his niece be like this with anyone else before. The closest thing was probably when Sasuke introduced Sakura to their family.

The counter called their number, and Itachi rose to get the food, nudging Shisui to go with him. "You can stay here, Boruto. Shisui and I will get it."

Shisui frowned but got up anyway. "What gives?"

Itachi had a smile on his face. "Did you see the way she looked at him?"

"Brainwashed?" He rolled his eyes.

He laughed. "She looks like how Sasuke did when he brought Sakura over."

Shisui scoffed. "Sarada looks cuter than that little brat of a brother you have."

"No doubt," Itachi nodded. "But she looks at Boruto the same way."

Itachi took hold of a tray and so did Shisui, the latter grumbled. "What are you trying to say?"

"She looks happy," he answered simply. "He doesn't seem that bad."

"I'll judge him if this burger tastes like shit though," Shisui muttered.

"Ah, yes," Itachi looked at the tray. "We shall see."

The two placed the trays on the table and started distributing the food. Boruto made sure to give Sarada hers first, and placed all the condiments she might want within her reach before getting his. Itachi was too busy watching him that he didn't notice everyone was already eating.

"Okay," Shisui was chewing but talking, "Not that bad." He looked at Itachi. "I don't think it'll kill you."

Sarada laughed and continued eating her fries. "It's actually pretty good."

"The best," Boruto corrected with a big grin. "we should come more often."

"We do every week," Sarada giggled.

Although that didn't sound too healthy, Itachi took a bite of his burger. The flavors were good, very good. Better than he anticipated. "Not bad."

Sarada smiled. "Glad you like it."

Itachi returned her smile and they continued eating until everything was gone. Knowing that her uncle was a sucker for dessert, they moved to another restaurant, a small coffee shop that sold delectable looking pastries.

They chatted some more over cake and coffee, and that's when Sarada asked. "Can you help us pick furniture and move in?"

Shisui blinked but nudged Itachi. "Your niece wants you to buy her furniture."

"I didn't say that!" Sarada blushed, remembering the time she had coaxed Itachi to redecorate his spare bedroom to be hers a few years back. "Mama will come, too. I'm not sure if Papa will. But I need help redecorating the nursery and all that."

"Won't you be there?" Shisui asked Boruto.

"Of course I will. And Mom and Hima want to help too…"

"That sounds like a lot of people," Itachi commented. "Are you sure you need my help?"

"Well… I want you to be there." Sarada admitted shyly. "Besides, Papa will definitely need help from holding Mama back from buying everything.

The two laughed. "Alright, Kiddo. We'll be there."

"Yay!" Sarada clapped. "I'll text you when."

Wrapping up the night, they said their goodbyes and drove home. Making sure to get a lot of rest because the following days were going to be busy and hectic, but Sarada was happy to have a lot of people helping her and Boruto settle in for their new life together.

.

.

.

Being in the furniture store looked a lot like being in a reunion. Hinata, Himawari, Sasuke, Sakura, Shisui and Itachi were all there. Sarada held on a little tighter to Boruto's hand as they strolled along the aisles, going right for the nursery items before anything else. Everyone was so excited. Sakura and Hinata instantly hit it off, chatting about their first babies and experiences while shopping.

Himawari was talking to Shisui, catching up from the last time they saw each other. While Sasuke and Itachi were speaking in hushed tones. Sarada watched all of them with a smile on her face. Boruto wanted to push a cart, but Sarada preferred to be holding his hand so he gave it up to Shisui.

"Who do you think is going to end up paying today?" Sarada asked Boruto cheekily.

His head turned towards her, eyes narrowing in challenge. "Me, obviously. I don't want anyone else paying for _our_ stuff."

Sarada giggled, knowing it would rile him up. "Mama's notorious for these things and Hima told me your mom is, as well. I'm surprised your dad isn't here."

"They'll have to fight me." He snorted. "Yeah, he wanted to come too… had some work to take care of though."

She hummed and leaned on his shoulder. "Okay. I actually brought my uncles to stop Mama from buying everything. She just disappears and comes back with stuff. Drives Papa crazy."

"I'm glad she's excited for us. We have a lot to buy… and we haven't even talked about the nursery yet. What were you thinking of?"

"White!" Sarada beamed. "Something sturdy and nice, so we can use it again. I mean, you want _four kids_." She rolled her eyes at that but giggled. "Won't be until a few more weeks until we know the gender, anyway. Might as well be safe."

"I want white too!" Boruto said, grinning happily. "And yes, we will get the nicest things for our babies."

Her smile was evident, and her cheeks flushed by the tiniest bit as she kissed his cheek. Boruto was always spoiling her, and she loved it.

The noise their families were making made them both look ahead. Sakura and Hinata were cooing over a lovely crib, with white wood. It was placed in a nice setting, with a fluffy rug underneath the crib and two side tables with a lovely lampshade and other baby things on top of the other. Even the mobile looked fancy, holding up stars, a moon, clouds, and other things. Himawari let it play and the lullaby sounded soothing.

It's exactly what Sarada wanted. "I like it." She looked at Boruto, waiting for his reaction.

"So do it. We'll buy the set. Including the changing table and rocking chair." He told her with a smirk.

Everyone looked his way, including Sarada. "Are you serious?" She just wanted the crib, but the whole set looked right out of a dream.

"Do I look like I'm playing?" He asked with an amused huff, nudging her slightly. "It looks perfect, right?"

"It does," Sarada agreed. "It might be too much, though."

"Too much? No way, all the rooms are spacious so no matter which we choose, it will hold all the furniture and then some." Boruto assured her. "Why, you don't want everything?"

"No, I want it." She should have gotten used to it by now. Boruto always gave her everything she needed _and_ wanted, but it still made her feel shy.

Himawari was already asking someone to get another set for them, taking everything. "We'll pick it up at the counter," she told the staff with a sweet smile, not giving Sarada another chance to take it back.

They moved on to getting even more furniture, letting her mother take charge of the kitchen utensils and Hinata looking at the appliances. Sarada chose a nice oven and a coffee machine. Boruto left her with them, as he went to pick out things he might need for the garage with the other men. Sarada was surprised that he was the one who came up with the idea but was happy she was getting along with her family.

The bathroom accessories were something Himawari and Hinata took active participation in, purchasing more decorative items. The living room was a little harder to choose from, the couch was the hardest thing to decide on.

"I want something comfy," Sarada whispered to Boruto. "We spend a lot of time on it, after all."

"But it has to be pretty!" Himawari insisted, catching what Sarada said. "You can pick out another set for the family room, too."

"The theme is important, dear," Sakura agreed. "Beige is good, it doesn't get dirty too quick."

"But a deeper shade of brown is comforting," Hinata added.

It was a lot harder to choose when so many people were giving suggestions and forcing what they wanted.

Finally finding two sets that they all agreed on, Sarada asked the staff to order them and have it brought to their home.

"The bedroom is the only thing we haven't shopped for," Sakura teased. "Or would you want to do that on your own?"

Sarada turned as red as a tomato, and her father did as well. "M-Mama, please."

Hinata giggled. "We could at least look at a few frames. Something sturdy, don't you think, Boruto?"

"Uh, yeah…" Boruto shifted into his feet, wondering why she had to use the word _sturdy._ "I want a king by the way."

"That's a _lot_ of space," Himawari grinned slyly. "Don't you want to sleep closer to Sarada-chan?"

"Space is good," the two uncles said in unison, making Sarada facepalm.

Her family could be so embarrassing sometimes. Thank god her Papa wasn't joining in.

"Perhaps you would want another bed, in a separate room for you, Sarada," Sasuke said.

She internally screamed. Nope. Just as bad as all of them. "We'll choose bedroom furniture some other time!" She announced. "We don't move in for another few weeks."

"Hn." Sasuke pushed the cart over to the cashier, with Itachi and Shisui with their own carts. It was full, and there were more items to be delivered.

Sarada was already doing the math at how much it would cost them, and it was not a pretty number. The cashier punched their purchases per room, and just as expected, Sakura and Hinata were already holding on to their credit cards, waiting for the final item to be punched. She sat down on the closest couch and watched.

Boruto was quick to wave both of them down. "Don't even think about it," he said chidingly. "I'm taking care of everything."

Sakura smiled at him sweetly. "Oh, darling, I'm not paying for _everything_."

"Consider it housewarming gifts, Boruto." His mother smiled.

"No, I appreciate the offer, but if you guys want to buy something, buy some baby clothes or something. Besides, we will need you to help us set up and rearrange. I don't want anyone else buying this stuff."

The fire in her mother's eyes was starting to look dangerous. No one ever fought her for anything. Hinata had a smile on her face, but when Himawari took a step back, Sarada knew she was starting to get angry.

Sasuke sat down next to her and watched the three argue a little more, voices rising by the tiniest bit. The cashier looked totally lost and didn't know if they should be calling their manager or not.

"Papa, aren't you going to stop Mama?"

"Hn."

She looked at her two uncles for help. They looked too amused to watch Boruto get yelled at by two mothers. "You two are enjoying this too much."

"You bet," Shisui grinned. "He should know not to fight Sakura for the bill. No one in our family does except your granddad, you know?"

Sarada pouted. "Uncle Itachiiii. I brought you here to stop Mama."

He only gave her an apologetic smile. "I don't wish to get hurt today."

She groaned and supposed she should be the one to stop this fight. As she approached, Boruto finally shoved his card towards the cashier and the two women had the most dangerous looks on their faces when the cashier took his card and let the transaction come through.

Sarada held on to his hand and asked him quietly, "How did you do that?"

"I just did it." He breathed. "It wasn't easy… I'm pretty tired now."

"I bet," she giggled and kissed his shoulder. "We can rest when we get home. Thank you for buying everything."

Boruto smiled and dipped his head to kiss her temple. "I'm happy you're happy."

"You always make me happy," she smiled back and leaned on him.

"Same here, Princess." Boruto wrapped his arm around her, keeping her snug against him. "We can shop more tomorrow, for the bedroom."

She agreed and told him that she didn't want people to come this time, not wanting her family to embarrass her further. "Okay."

"It's definitely for the best if it's just you and me. Besides, we need time to be able to test the beds out."

Her cheeks burned and she hit him lightly. "No." Not liking what he was insinuating. It looked like Boruto would be a lot more embarrassing than her mother.

"What do you mean _no?"_ He pouted. "You're not gonna make me try them out myself, are you?"

Sarada rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. _Tomorrow_."

"Tomorrow." He agreed with a nod. "Tonight I just want to get in our current bed and relax."

"Same here," Sarada was already feeling tired. They had spent more than three hours walking around and shopping for furniture. The added need to socialize and make decisions just made it worse. "I think I can even pass on dinner. I just want to sleep."

"Oh, you're not skipping dinner. But you'll get your sleep… eventually."

Her stomach twisted just thinking of what Boruto had planned for them later that evening. Perhaps Hinata was right, they should look for a sturdy bed frame tomorrow.

The drive home was a lot more relaxing than it should have been, Sarada felt herself dozing in and out of sleep. They were still living in Boruto's old house, and things were a little messier than before. There were boxes everywhere and some things were piled around, waiting to be packed. Sarada pulled out some leftovers and heated it up, wanting to finish dinner quickly to get to bed. After a quick shower, she put on one of Boruto's shirts and climbed into bed, excited to lie down.

Boruto had a shower too after a short call with Mitsuki, who she still hadn't met yet. He didn't bother with clothes and gave her a show of dropping his towel by the bed before yanking the covers aside. He crawled over her with a cheeky look, blue eyes bright as ever. His hands slid up her thighs and hips, pulling the T-shirt up.

His expression softened as his touch skimmed over her tummy, his gaze dropping to where his hands lingered. "Have you noticed, Sarada?" He asked quietly, though the question was warm and enthusiastic.

Her hand came up to hold his, eyes softening as well. "A little bit. Sometimes, I still can't believe it."

Boruto was smiling as he leaned down to press a kiss to the tummy, loving how it wasn't flat anymore. Their baby wanted to be seen. "Are you happy?" He asked hopefully, almost hesitantly.

"Of course," she answered softly. "It's _our_ baby."

He nodded, hands starting to rub her belly gently. "Our baby. Is it crazy that… I already love them?"

Sarada chuckled lightly. "I already love them, too. We can be crazy together."

"I like the sound of that." Boruto mused, giving her another kiss, a little lower, a little more suggestive. "We're going to be happy. As a family, I mean…"

"We already are, aren't we?"

Boruto lifted his head, smiling wide as he crawled up her body, kissing her forehead next. "Yeah, we are. A family with our own house and a baby."

She lifted herself a bit to brush her lips against his. Such tender moments with Boruto were something she loved and cherished. He kissed her fully, sucking softly on her bottom lip before pulling back with a smirk.

"I think we have a lot to look forward to, Princess. Lots of babies and lots of making babies. It's almost like a dream."

Sarada laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer so she could kiss him again, deeper this time. "You're getting me excited since you put it that way."

"You should be excited." He said between kisses. "I sure am."

A giggle escaped her lips, and Boruto kept on kissing her face, slowly leading down to her neck and chest, lingering a little more on her tummy before dipping down lower, making her moan.

"I'm glad you're not too tired to play… but we can make it quick." He teased as he trailed his fingertips over her inner thighs, spreading her legs a bit more.

She eagerly spread her legs for him, watching his next move. Boruto was in the mood to tease her, planting soft kisses on her inner thighs and lightly tracing over her panties. It was driving her crazy. When he flicked his tongue out to lick closer to her panties, he had her whimpering his name.

"We need some more action at the office," he had the audacity to comment while his face was buried between her legs.

She groaned and tugged at his hair to make him look at her. "Less talking, Boruto. You said we'll make it quick."

"Alright, Damn, you know I'll take care of us." He huffed and dropped his head once she loosened her hold on his hair.

Sarada chuckled and then hissed when his tongue started working on her. He always did take care of them, and her, and now, their baby, too. She was certain he always would. Boruto was just that type of guy.


	41. Princess Cut

Finally, the move-in day arrived and with it, a whole lot of activity. Itachi and Shisui have taken it upon themselves to rent a moving truck and had most of the furniture in it while Boruto has his car loaded with nothing but clothes. His dad had rented another truck, where they'd been keeping the remaining furniture and things. There was a lot to do, the day would be busy, but tonight, they would stay in their new home for the first time.

It hadn't come as a surprise when he found out Hinata and Sakura met on another day and went shopping together _alone_ to buy many different decorations and other things they hadn't thought about when they were furniture shopping. This time, they won, but only because he didn't have time to argue with them about who was going to pay when all the men were ready to move stuff and he was one of them.

Sasuke and Naruto met for the first time and for some reason, Boruto was really anxious about it. His dad had a thing for embarrassing him or saying the most idiotic things. He wouldn't be surprised if he was right back at square one with Sasuke by the end of the day. Boruto tried to keep his distance at first, though his eyes kept wandering to the pair. He couldn't hear them, so he went a little closer, trying to keep enough distance so that he didn't seem suspicious. If Naruto was saying something ridiculous, he'd have to do whatever he had to, to save his own ass.

"Should have been there to see them every day. Boruto _always_ treats Sarada like a queen." Naruto stated proudly. "I knew they were going to be together from the beginning. I mean, who couldn't have noticed?"

Boruto was relieved that his dad wasn't saying anything bad about him, but he was still embarrassed and what did he mean by _together_?

Sasuke put the box down that he was carrying and regarded the man, a brow quipped up. "You apparently haven't been around. They're _not_ together."

"The hell," Naruto scoffed, glaring mildly at the other man. "Are you blind? What kind of assumption is that? You do realize what we're doing right now…"

 _Oh._ Boruto wasn't sure if he should intervene, but he couldn't. He didn't have the right words, he didn't want to piss off Sasuke, or Naruto either, so he just pretended to move boxes around while he listened.

Sasuke moved another box with ease and responded, "it's a fact, not an assumption. I don't recall Sarada telling me he even asked." His tone was neutral, though the smirk on his lips was enough to let Naruto know that he was implying something bad about his son.

"Didn't ask?!" Naruto snorted. "He bought them a house and she's pregnant with _his_ baby. What more needs to be said?"

"The honorable thing, if he ever wants the child to carry his name." Sasuke picked up another box and started moving further away, irritated with the blond.

Sarada came down the stairs and walked up to Boruto, watching him kick around the same box she saw him carry down from the car. "What are you doing?"

Boruto blanched at being caught snooping close to their dads to eavesdrop. "Ah, umm… I was just… moving this out of the way." He quickly lifted the box again and moved it for the nth time.

Her hands moved to her hips, shifting her weight to one side, making her baby bump appear slightly bigger. "Can you help me with the bedroom instead? I think Papa can handle the living room."

"I don't know… I may be needed here." He told her uncertainly. Things could get uglier than they already were. And those two were still going at it in hushed tones. He heard his dad growling about "honorable" things.

She looked around, both of their dads were moving boxes around at a quick pace, compared to Boruto's glacial one and these guys were _older_. She pouted at him then crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine." Sarada walked outside, calling for her uncle's help instead.

The two of them came in, carrying the bed frame. Carefully moving around the other boxes and furniture as they followed Sarada up the stairs.

Boruto shifted a little closer to hear the subdued argument ongoing between Sasuke and Naruto.

"You're crazy as hell thinking that. They've been _together_ for over six months now. Maybe they were a little slow in the beginning, but shit… so was I. You probably weren't any better. _Mr. perfect."_

_Oh god._

Sasuke dropped the box he was holding, making Boruto flinch. Thank god it wasn't marked as anything breakable but the loud _thud_ did sound scary. "I confessed to my wife when I was thirteen."

"Oh, did you?" Naruto laughed through his nose. "Tell me about it then. How did you confess?" He crossed his arms, waiting.

His lips pressed into a fine line. "That is none of your business. My point is, I made my intentions clear from the beginning."

"So, at thirteen, you told Sakura you loved her and were going to marry her one day?" Naruto pressed, not believing it for a second.

Neither did Boruto.

"To marry her, at sixteen," he clarified.

"That's what you said?" Naruto asked. "Be honest. It's just us here… I won't tell anybody."

Sasuke's lower lip jutted out, and his gaze focused sharply on Boruto. "Not exactly just us."

Boruto stiffened, paling even further at being caught by Sasuke. That was so much worse than Sarada. He frowned slightly, but walked a little closer, swallowing hard. "I um… want to hear the story too."

Sasuke rolled his eyes but sighed in resignation. "I've never been one to talk too much, I mostly relied on Sakura's understanding." He averted his gaze, quite uncomfortable at needing to be so honest before… strangers.

"But she always understood what I meant, even when I didn't know it myself. I used to say she was annoying all the time. Focusing on me instead of her schoolwork." He shrugged. "I had to leave for university, but I promised her I would see her again. And then… we got married at nineteen. Before she even finished med school when we met up during summer. I've never parted with her since."

"Wow." Boruto stared at Sasuke in disbelief. "Do you think… Sarada is like you?"

"In many ways, yes. But she is also a lot like her mother."

"Thank god for that," Naruto muttered under his breath.

"Dad!" Boruto huffed, waving him off frantically. "I can't believe it!"

"Believe what?" Sasuke asked.

Boruto looked back at him with a big grin. "Sarada confessed to me _forever_ ago. Ha!" He would have never guessed, but now everything made sense.

Sasuke smirked at that. If he only figured it out, Sakura was right. Boruto wasn't half as perceptive as she was but at least he figured it out already.

"Did auntie Sakura ever stalk you?" His eyes were bright with excitement.

Sasuke's face was the exact opposite. " _No_."

Naruto replied, "No, Boruto. That was your mother. She used to follow me around since we were kids. I never even noticed for the most part."

"Mom did?" Boruto looked at his dad in surprise. "So she confessed to you first then?"

Naruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "Y-yeah she did. Had to tell me straight up, too. Because I really didn't get it. I think she did it more than once…"

"Dumbass," Sasuke muttered.

"Papa, I heard that!" Sarada came marching down the stairs.

Instead of Sasuke looking sorry, he smirked. "Didn't you say that Boruto used to stalk you, Sarada?"

Her eyes went wide, lost with the sudden question. "Yeah. He still does. It's annoying."

Boruto took Sarada's hands and near jumped up and down in elation. "Aw, you're so sweet."

Her face contorted, taking a step back. "What the hell is going on?"

The two men laughed, making Sarada pout. "Were you having a guy conversation? Ugh. Where's Mama and Auntie Hinata when I need them." She pulled her hands away from Boruto and stuck her tongue out at him before going back up the stairs, leaving them alone.

"She totally loves me." Boruto sighed wistfully to himself, gushing over this newfound information. "Why didn't you tell me, Sasuke?"

Sasuke quirked his brow up. It was not his obligation to let this idiot know what his daughter was feeling. "It's not my fault you're not half as perceptive as my wife." He then turned to face the other blond in the room. "You have this one to blame for that."

"Hey!" Naruto barked, scowling at Sasuke. "It's hard when people aren't speaking their feelings clearly." Or when they did, even. "You two should do better."

"Yes, do better than saying people are annoying and stalking them," Sasuke rolled his eyes but there was an amused smile on his face.

"Sarada and I are doing just fine, so you can both let it go," Boruto finally said, pleased with the outcome of this argument between their dads. He couldn't stop smiling now.

"Fine, as long as _he_ does," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke crossed his arms across his chest. "Not until I see a ring."

"A ring…" Boruto hummed. "A ring! Yes, you're right." He should have thought of that sooner. "I can do that. Easy peasy."

"What's this I hear about a ring?" Himawari popped out of nowhere, nearly giving Boruto a heart attack. He jumped and twisted around to face his sister, quickly recovering himself to grin at her.

"For Sarada!" He told her in a loud, excited whisper. "It's the next thing on my to-do list."

Himawari brightened up, blue eyes gleaming mischievously. "Oh wow! So dreamy! I bet I know just what she'd like." She giggled and hugged Boruto around his middle. "How soon can we go ring shopping—tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow…" Boruto mentally went over his schedule before deciding he could spare some time for it. "Sure! It won't take too long I'm sure, but I have to get her the best ring."

"Ahhh! I'm so happy! Finally, Sarada and I will become sisters. You just leave all the wedding preparations to me, Bro."

Boruto nodded in agreement, pleased with this day as a whole. No amount of embarrassment could ruin his good mood now. "Sounds great, Hima, thanks."

Now that he had even more to look forward to and his dad wasn't fussing with Sasuke too much, Boruto excused himself to find Sarada. She was standing inside, hands on her hips while she watched her uncles finish getting the mattress on the bed. Boruto walked over, trying not to be as cheeky as he felt, but at this point it was just a part of who he was.

"Sorry I'm late, Princess." He whispered at her ear, surprised to find that the bedroom was completely set up and he quite liked the way she'd gotten her uncles to move things. They just needed to add the curtains and bedding and it would be complete.

She pouted at him, but leaned into his embrace when he hugged her from behind. "Did you bring down the curtains and beddings? I want to finish setting this up before we start on the nursery."

"They're downstairs, I just wanted to see where we were at. I can go grab them now."

"Okay," Sarada kissed his cheek and walked over to her uncles, asking for their help to bring up some of the bathroom items.

The two of them nodded and walked downstairs, looking for the boxes. Once the bathroom was all set up and the curtains were in place, her uncles said they would take care of the beddings, ushering the two out of the room to get started on the nursery.

"Better start on the crib! I'm most excited about it and I can't wait to find out if the baby is a girl or a boy so we can decorate more." He chuckled and rubbed her tummy for a moment as he looked around the room. It was right across the hallway from their own, close enough so they could get to the baby quickly whenever they were needed.

Boruto wasn't the least bit dejected about the crib needing to be assembled. It made him happy and proud to be able to do something like this for his baby and he was already anticipating doing so much more. Of course, his and Sarada's child and future children deserved the world and he would do everything within his power to give them just that. It all started with this crib though.

But this crib was a bitch.

"What the fuck?" He groaned, half an hour into the assembly while staring at a skinny silver bar that looked as if it was totally unnecessary. "This is some bullshit."

Sarada sat on the floor next to him, flipping the instructions around. "I don't really know where it goes, either." She watched Boruto try to make it fit in where it might belong, but it just wouldn't work. A grin formed on her face, despite his growing frustration. "Do you want me to ask for help?"

"Not in a million years." Boruto scoffed at the idea alone, no way in hell would he allow that to happen. "This is my baby, ya know. I can put this crib together… I just… need a minute." _Or an hour._ His blue eyes narrowed on the silver bar before setting it aside. They could come back to that one. "Fuck it, what's next?"

Sarada laughed and handed him a bag filled with smaller, silver parts and bolts. "You should get the base up first."

"Ugh, right." Boruto nodded, feeling slightly frustrated at least until he looked at the whole crib-building as a mathematical equation. A lightbulb went off in his head and soon enough, things started coming together.

It wasn't long before Boruto found out where that annoying silver bar went and after another twenty minutes, the crib was complete. He admired it for a long moment, wrapping his arm around Sarada when she came to stand close to his side.

"Where should we have it? You want it centered in the room, or against one of the walls?" He asked, not really having a preference himself.

She hummed for a while and looked around. "The corner would be nice." Her eyes trailed to the empty space between the windows. "We can have the changing table to the right and the rocker on the left. What do you think?"

"Ooh, that sounds lovely." He smiled and turned his head, dropping it just enough to capture her lips in a kiss. "I'll make it happen."

Sarada smiled back at him and kissed him again, letting their lips linger a little longer before pulling away. "Great. I'll get the rug and curtains."

"Okay, I'll have this done before you even get back!" He told her confidently and she giggled on her way out.

Boruto got right to work, moving the crib where he wanted it, and then getting the changing table and rocking chair in place. He went to stand back at the door and peer inside, deeming it as perfect as perfect could be. His baby was going to love this room, he was sure of it.

Soft footsteps padded into the room, with an arm full of fabric. The curtains were also white, and the rug a light gray. She handed it to him and they both set it up. It hadn't taken long at all, and now the room was complete. At least until they learned the baby's gender and could do more. They were both looking forward to that while at the same time, they were content with things as they were now.

"This little peanut will be in this crib soon." Boruto murmured softly as he splayed his hand out on Sarada's tummy, smiling fondly at her.

She chuckled lightly and looked at her tummy before gazing towards the crib. "I can't wait. They'll be the happiest peanut ever."

"Of course. How could they not, having us as parents?" He smirked and leaned closer to nuzzle her neck with his nose.

"Parents," she repeated. "I still can't believe it."

Boruto laughed at that and kissed her neck before straightening himself. "Well, believe it, Sarada. We're totally parents now."

Her nose scrunched at that, a smile on her lips. "Been it for twelve weeks." Hands coming up to her tummy. "It feels like yesterday."

"Mom says pregnancies fly by… soon we'll be standing in here with the baby and looking back to this day. Next thing we know, we're buying a bigger house." He shrugged.

A gasp escaped her lips. "We have five bedrooms. Stop it!"

"Fine, fine. That'll do for a while." He laughed again. "Besides, we can always just add on to this place when we need to. You never know, one day you might want more kids than I do."

"Never." Her eyes narrowed and she hit his chest playfully. "Not unless you push out the rest."

"Well, I would if I could, obviously." He grinned and took her hand in his. "I guess we should check up on everyone else. Maybe the rest of the place is coming together just as nicely."

She hummed and wrapped her arms around his middle. "I bet. I've been hearing Mama boss the others around for hours."

"These moms and their bossiness." Boruto shook his head, giving Sarada a pointed look.

Downstairs, they found their entire work crew lounging around on all the new living room furniture, chatting comfortably. Boruto smiled at the sight of everyone, their families together as a whole. It was easy to see that things were meant to be this way and Boruto honestly couldn't have been happier. It had been an exhausting, but wonderful day and that night, Boruto and Sarada were able to enjoy their first night at home together.

The next morning, Sarada had to work. Boruto hated it, but it was good for today. He woke up early as always, made coffee and ordered breakfast since they still needed to shop for groceries. They had a great morning before he drove her to work and walked her inside, taking some time to speak with Inojin and Chocho. It wasn't easy, but he was trying to be civil—and thankfully, Inojin had been on his best behavior lately. Boruto supposed even that potty mouth could be nice sometimes.

Once he left there he drove straight to his parents' place and picked up Himawari. She was even more excited than he was, bouncing in her seat the entire drive. When they parked outside of the jewelers, she turned to him with a wicked look that had him leaning back towards his door. She whipped out a ring from her clutch and Boruto blinked at that.

"What the—you already have a ring?" If Inojin dared to propose without asking his permission, Boruto was going to kick his ass.

Himawari rolled her eyes. "No, silly. This is Sarada's. I stole it."

"What?" Boruto screeched. "You _stole_ it? From my Princess?"

"I beg your pardon?" Himawari scoffed and Boruto tried to lean back further. There was no further.

"Nevermind."

"I stole it so we would know her ring size. Ugh, you're so ridiculous."

"Isn't stealing rings a bit ridiculous?"

"Well, I'm really just borrowing it!" Himawari muttered. "You can take it back to her once we're done."

They couldn't have gotten inside soon enough, and when they did, Himawari dragged Boruto to the engagement rings as if she worked there. A salesperson was quick to come and greet them, asking what they were looking for.

"My brother is getting married—and has a baby on the way. He wants to spend a fortune on a ring!"

The lady behind the counter had the widest grin on her face and Boruto gulped when he saw the dollar signs flash in her eyes. "We have a lovely one right here." She opened up the drawer and brought a selection out. "Quite the popular choice among men your age."

It was a nice ring. A big diamond in the middle. But it didn't sit well with him that it was a _popular_ choice.

"Do you have something else?" Himawari pouted. "One diamond isn't enough."

"I definitely want something to dazzle her. She's a princess, so she deserves the best." Boruto sighed, knowing he would gladly spend a fortune on the ring.

The lady brought the tray back into the drawer and told them to have a seat, going to the back to fetch a few more. Himawari was looking around, dazzled with all the colors and sparkly gems. "Do you have an idea of what you want for her?"

"I was thinking something with a square shape, one big center diamond and smaller ones to each side. Needs to be flashy so everybody knows not to try me." He turned his nose up and crossed his leg, resting his right ankle atop his left knee.

The lady came back with another tray. She wore black gloves and set them down in front of the two. Himawari's blue eyes sparkled, there were three kinds of rings set before them. All with platinum bands, and definitely more than one diamond, as per her request.

The first one had a heart-shaped diamond, with a halo of smaller gems around it, and it extended until the band.

The next one was a drop-shaped diamond, a similar halo of diamonds around, until the band.

The last one caught Boruto's eye. It was exactly what he wanted, and his eyes lit up at the name of the ring.

_Princess cut_

"These are our best selections," the lady proudly announced. Each with the best cut and chosen for clarity."

"That last one seems to be what I'm looking for," Boruto told her, hand patting Himawari in a gesture to get her handing over the other ring so they could get the right size.

Himawari fished out the ring and handed it to the lady for Sarada's size.

"Lovely," The jeweler seemed interested in the ring for a while before grinning at Boruto. "Shall we have a 2 carat fit for it?"

"That sounds fine. It's not too small, right?"

"A little bigger than the one in front of you, sir. We can have it ready by the end of the week."

"End of the week?" He frowned, voice raising the slightest bit. "That's a little extreme. What's wrong with later today?"

She blinked a few times. "These rings aren't ready-made, sir. And looking at this ring, she has quite a small size… probably a five, if not smaller."

"Okay, but I don't care to wait forever. The end of the week is too long. How soon can you make it happen? Rush order."

The lady didn't seem too surprised at his request, but her brows did raise by the slightest bit. "Let me make a call, and I'll see how soon. I'll also have the size checked." She disappeared again into another room, taking the ring selections with her.

Himawari grinned slyly at her brother. "Can't wait, huh?"

"Of course I can't. I was hoping to give it to her today." He sulked.

" _Today_?" Himawari screeched, making the other customers look at them. She lowered her voice. "What are you going to do, just _hand_ it to her?"

"What the heck else am I getting it for?" Boruto snapped back.

Her blue eyes were ablaze. "To _ask_ her to marry you!"

"She basically already agreed. Relax."

Himawari crossed her arms across her chest. " _How_? Tell me."

"Isn't it obvious? All those times even in the beginning when she called me annoying and tried to pretend like she didn't want me around, she was confessing the whole time. Her dad told me himself!"

Himawari blinked. Once. Twice. Her mouth opened to say something but nothing came out. Her shoulders shook and she began to laugh. People were looking their way again, this time, a little less kindly. "You two are so stupid. I can't believe this. And you what, confessed to her because you followed her around since Day One?"

"I never followed her around, you're crazy," Boruto said with an annoyed huff. He was _not_ a stalker.

"You're worse than mom," Himawari giggled. "At least dad never saw her. You followed her to the train and she had to teach you how to use it!"

The lady came back out, just when Boruto wanted to strangle it out of his sister who told on him. The jeweler was looking quite pleased, bringing out a receipt with a large number written on it. "Rush order can be done for tomorrow." She pointed at the breakdown on the paper. "For this price. Will it be in cash or card?"

"Card." Boruto rolled his eyes and pulled out his wallet to retrieve his card. Who in their right mind would walk around with _that_ much cash on them?

The lady brought out a machine and swiped up his purchase. "Please fill out this form and we'll call you when it's ready."

Himawari took the paper for Boruto and filled it in with her details. "I'll call you when it's ready." She grinned at him. "Wouldn't want Sarada seeing you get a call from this place. She might run away again."

"I'd catch her ass." He huffed but nodded in agreement. "I want to know as soon as you do."

She rolled her eyes at him and gave the paper back to the jeweler. "I can ask mom to come with me to pick it up for you. But seriously, are you going to just hand it to her?" Himawari took the receipt and slipped it in her pocket, leading them back out of the store. "No dinner? Flowers? Romantic set up?" Her eyes were getting wider the more she talked, practically begging her brother to let her plan it.

"You think she needs all that? I don't… Sarada is happy just to have me."

Himawari waved him off. "I know that but it's nice to be _extra_."

"That's _you_ who likes that, not her. Sarada is simple, ya know… perfect." He smiled, happy with the fact that everything was working out. Almost as perfect as she was.

"Then why did you get her such an expensive ring?" She deadpanned.

Himawari was always asking questions that had obvious answers. "Because my princess deserves a princess ring." It was as simple as that.

She rolled her eyes. "You're so _mushy_."


	42. The Proposal

Sarada took a leave in the morning to go to the hospital with Boruto the following day, opting to work from home in the afternoon once they finished. The hospital wasn't as packed, but there were a lot of women, a lot later into their pregnancy than she was. Their bellies were swollen and wearing maternity clothes, walking a little funny. Her hand came up to stroke her stomach, a little bigger than it normally was for her, with her free hand, as Boruto was holding on to her other, as usual. They didn't have to wait so long for their turn, and this time, Sarada didn't fuss for Boruto to wait for her outside.

Shizune welcomed them warmly and got right to it, taking her blood pressure and asking how their move was, and then diving into more questions. "How's your morning sickness, Sarada?"

"Not as much as before," she responded quickly. "I get them every now and then, but not enough to bother me."

"Diet? Still eating healthy?" Shizune walked over and brought her to the weighing scale, writing it down when they finished. She pulled out her older files and smiled. "Looks like you're gaining weight."

She huffed at that, but Boruto was grinning like a maniac. "Yes, she eats healthy… a lot. I make sure of it." He was a little too proud of himself.

"No more sushi, okay? Go for fresh fruits and vegetables. You're already thirteen weeks in, and you're so close to the second trimester, which will hopefully be the easiest one for you." Shizune opened up her drawer and pulled out a booklet, containing information about what she can expect, but still ran it by them.

"Your morning sickness and sensitivity to other foods should lessen, and—this is the exciting part—your baby will be growing a lot, so you can expect your bump to really show." Her excitement was infectious, "We can schedule on your sixteenth week to find out the gender, I'll have you come back for an ultrasound." Holding the pamphlet out, she kept talking about how the baby would be moving around more, their hair and limbs growing, as well "tasting" the food Sarada would be eating. Shizune turned to Boruto, "Make sure she eats healthy, and control your sugar intake. I don't want you getting gestational diabetes."

Sarada complained about that, as her cravings mostly entailed sugary sweets.

"No complaining, you can do it. Sweets are for occasions." Boruto rubbed her back affectionately, smiling a little too brightly.

Her lower lip jutted out, a mild glare was tossed his way. Sarada felt a little betrayed that he took the doctor's side, but she didn't want to put herself or their baby in any danger. " _Fine._ "

Shizune chuckled at her reaction and opened up the topic of exercise. "Try going swimming, or take some prenatal yoga classes, there are a few studios who offer that. Walking is also good. Have you been doing your kegel exercises? You need to keep at that."

"Ooh, ooh, I want to do prenatal yoga," Boruto said excitedly. "And yeah, Sarada, can't forget those."

Her cheeks reddened at Boruto's last comment. "I've been doing them. Prenatal yoga sounds good, too. What else do I need to do?"

Shizune pulled out a list of tests, potential need for a flu shot, and then her calendar, working out a regular schedule for her and Sarada to meet. This time, she was prepared, having her planner open, and writing down the dates, listening to her talk more about things she might need.

"Don't forget your vitamins, oh, and since we talked about your kegel exercises, how has your libido been?"

Sarada choked on the air she was breathing. Honestly. She should have been used to all the sex questions by now but it was _still_ weird talking about it. No coherent words were coming out of her mouth.

"Don't you worry about that, doc. She's raring to go. Every morning. Every afternoon… every night… sometimes more than once too." Boruto seemed to have no trouble explaining.

Her planner closed with a loud _snap_ and she glared at him.

Shizune was used to it by now, only waving her hand. "Oh, that's good to hear. As you move on to your second trimester, expect feeling more fatigued, and your mood-swings might cause you not to want it, or want it more often." She waited for them to absorb this information before going on. "It's not bad to have sex but be clear when you're not feeling up to it. A lot of my patients experience less sex during this trimester, usually opting to sleep."

"So it's not bad, as in… for the baby? So, we can have all the sex we want?" Boruto asked for clarity.

Sarada kicked him under the table this time, not able to contain her annoyance.

Shizune watched Boruto jump and laughed. "No, it's not bad at all. I think your baby will like being rocked around a bit, too. Might be fun, just be careful with her tummy."

The blush on Sarada's face was starting to look permanent, and she hated how Boruto sighed a sigh of relief, a big grin on his face.

"Hear that, Princess? The baby might like it too. Not as much as you, though."

"Are we done here?" Sarada asked, a little too harshly.

The doctor laughed and stood from her desk. "Yes, you can go now. Please give this to my assistant before you go."

Sarada took the folder and nodded her thanks, still shooting a pointed look at Boruto before leading the way out, nose in the air. Boruto paid for their checkup and followed Sarada out. She was giving him the cold shoulder, still embarrassed by what he said in front of the doctor.

"Why are you so mad?" Boruto asked the instant he was in the car with her. "It was a great checkup, I thought."

She only harrumphed in response, refusing to look at him. She could still feel the heat on her cheeks come up every time she replayed the conversation that happened in the doctor's office. Gaining weight was one thing, but her not being allowed to eat sweets was enough to make her cry. And Boruto talking about their sex life did _not_ help at all. "Can we go to the grocery now? I need to be working by one."

"Anything for you." Boruto smiled, unaffected by her snottiness. He put the car in reverse, backed out of their parking spot, and then pulled away.

Sarada opened up her phone, going through her emails as Boruto drove. She was still mad at him but didn't make a move to remove his hand from her thigh. He rubbed at it tenderly, trying to get her to forgive him, even playing the music that she likes that she knew he hated, and she would _not_ admit it was working. Never.

As usual, he walked around to open her door for her and helped her out. He took her hand in his and kissed it, giving her a warm smile. It took everything in her not to smile back, but she did squeeze his hand. It was so hard to stay mad at him when he was looking at her like that.

Those big blue eyes were always at fault, and she loved them. Secretly wishing that their baby would inherit them.

The grocery was relatively empty, as it was only eleven in the morning. Boruto took a cart and led them to the produce section, waiting for Sarada to pick out the vegetables she might need. There were a bunch of recipes she already thought of preparing, and she took the ingredients one by one. Boruto left her side to go get bacon and eggs, the only thing he really knew how to prepare.

There was a small display for packaged cookies and her eyes lit up in interest, she gravitated towards it, and read the label.

_More chocolate chips!_

Her mouth watered at the sight of it, and she picked up two packages and then wandered into the dairy aisle to get two cartons of whole cream milk. Her arms were full by the time she came by the cart, and Boruto was already there, staring at the contents in her arms. If he was going to fight her, she was definitely going to fight back. No one was getting between her and these cookies.

"I won't say anything… as long as you don't try to eat all of them at once." Boruto said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "It's okay to eat some sweets, but not too many. It could cause complications… you don't want that, do you? Or a baby that weighs fourteen pounds."

She hated him. And how much sense he was making. Sarada agreed, but she still hated him. Dumping all of the contents in the cart, she wandered to the next aisle, picking up tomato sauces and a bottle of pesto.

"It'll even out." She tried to argue, but he was right. Having a big baby to push out would be painful, and she certainly did not want to get diabetes. It took everything in her not to go to the chocolate aisle, clinging on to Boruto when they passed by and he made sure they didn't go near it anymore.

When they were checking out, she had a staring contest with the chocolate bar, near crying that she _really_ shouldn't be getting it. But god she wanted it. Instead of tossing it in with the other groceries, she demanded Boruto give her the car keys. "I'll wait for you there."

Boruto handed them over without hesitation, blinking at her in surprise. "O-okay. I'll be right out."

Sarada took the keys without another word and hurried out of the grocery store. The faster and father she could get away from the sweets, the better. Once she got to the car, she started it up and turned on the AC, as well as the radio, and slumped down on the front seat. The pout on her face was starting to look permanent and thought she just might burst into tears. Perhaps these were the mood swings that the doctor was talking about. She was getting them more and more and it felt disconcerting. Sarada was usually cool and collected, but this baby was making her change.

Her hand came to rub at her tiny baby bump, sighing. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'll try better for the both of us."

Boruto came out in less than ten minutes, near jogging as he pushed the cart towards the back of the car, loading in the groceries. Once he was in the front seat, he gave her a small smile and handed her a chocolate bar. "Just for today, okay?"

Sarada eyed the chocolate bar and her heart stuttered. Taking it tentatively, her face broke out into a grin and she opened it up, only taking the first row and closing it up again. "You hold on to this for me." She held up the rest with her other finger and leaned in for a kiss. "Your kisses are sweet enough to satisfy my craving."

"You're so sweet." Boruto grinned, accepting the remainder of the bar to save for her and then closed the distance to kiss her softly. "I may end up being the one with diabetes."

She giggled and ate her small portion of the chocolate bar as Boruto drove them home. This time, she helped with putting the groceries away and prepared their lunch. Chicken with pesto and veggies. Something fairly fast, and filling. Her laptop was already open and sitting on the far end of the counter, waiting for her to come and check on it. Truth be told, she was tempted to just empty the pack of cookies into a bowl and drown them in milk to eat while she worked but Boruto would probably ground her if she even tried.

Popping the chicken in the oven, Sarada looked around their new kitchen, sighing with satisfaction. It was close to her dream kitchen. A lot roomier than Boruto's old one, and all of the appliances that they chose definitely made her life easier when preparing meals. It wasn't just the kitchen, though. The living room was a lot roomier, too and the television was bigger. The dining table could easily fit eight people and could accommodate more if they really squeezed. The high ceiling and stairs were beautiful, and the light coming in from the windows illuminated everything perfectly. She could already imagine toddlers running around, and toys splayed around. It made her heart warmer just thinking about it.

The doorbell rang and she was pulled out of her thoughts, blinking at who might be visiting in the afternoon. Sarada walked over to the front door at a leisurely pace, in no rush to get the door. Boruto came running up though as if it was an emergency, breezing past her.

"I got it!" He yelled on his way.

She took a step back and placed her hands on her hips, genuinely confused at him bolting for the door. She peeked behind him and found Himawari and Hinata, wide smiles on their faces and holding on to large Tupperwares filled with food.

"We brought food!" Himawari announced happily.

Well, this was a surprise. Judging by the size of the Tupperwares, she wouldn't need to cook for a week. Shame the chicken was already in the oven. "Hello," she smiled. "Come in!" Boruto made no move to get out of the way, so she pushed him aside. "Boruto, what are you doing?" She nearly scowled, shocked with her own mood swing when she realized what she had done. "Sorry," she muttered but still pushed him out of the way to let his mother and sister inside the house.

Hinata made herself right at home, going straight for the kitchen, and Himawari following suit. Boruto was staring at his sister so hard, not even greeting his mother. Sarada flicked his ear. "What is going on with you?"

"Eh?" He brushed off her hand, almost glaring with the way he looked at Himawari. "Nothing. Himawari… we need to talk. In private."

Sarada let him step around her and she pouted. He was acting so strange. "Auntie Hinata, let me get that for you," when she realized Hinata had been emptying the contents of her Tupperware into another bowl. She fussed for a while, irritated that Hinata didn't let her help at all.

"I've got it, Sarada. Sit down." Hinata kept moving around the kitchen, even washing the dishes, and that's when Sarada put her foot down and pulled the woman away.

Boruto and Himawari disappeared into Boruto's office and Sarada was wondering what on earth those two were up to. After succeeding in making Hinata stop cleaning up her kitchen and removing the chicken from the oven, she invited the two to stay for lunch.

"Oh, no, it's fine." Hinata smiled, picking up her bag and holding on to Himawari's hand like a child. "We'll be going now. We just wanted to drop off some food we cooked earlier today."

Sarada's brow lifted. "There's enough to feed ten people here. It's really no problem that you stay."

"Yes, it is, alright, thanks for coming!" Boruto patted them both on their shoulders and waved them off. "I'll call later. Okay. _Later."_

Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor with the way he practically _tossed_ his sister and mother out of the house. "Boruto!" She chided him and placed the chicken down on the table. "What are you doing?"

"Don't worry about them, they knew I didn't invite them over for food tonight. Tonight is about you and me. And the baby too."

Now, this had her reeling, confusion swimming in her dark eyes. She couldn't even begin to express how weird he was being. "I don't get it. What about us and our baby?"

"Okay, okay. I got you a little something!" He couldn't keep it a secret any longer. Besides, she had to be expecting it.

"Got me something?" Sarada crossed her arms. "What are you talking about? You already bought me a _house_." He was ridiculous, spending so much money when he really should have been saving more for their baby. "This better not be anything expensive."

For some reason, her heartbeat a little faster, anxious at what Boruto could have gotten her. If he got her a car to get out of driving her around, she would throw the chicken at him. Dinner rolls and strawberries would be put to shame.

"Maybe you should sit down." Boruto laughed nervously and ushered her to the couch.

Oh my god. This idiot _did_ get her a car. Sarada sat down on the couch and craned her neck to look out the window, to check if there was another car parked outside. "I'm scared, and getting angry," Sarada said. "Please tell me you didn't get me a car."

"What? You want a car?" Boruto asked, getting distracted.

"What?" Sarada was officially confused. "What, no. I don't want one. Don't get me one, you're still driving me around." There was no way in hell she was going to drive herself around, especially not when she was expecting.

"Yeah, you're right. I could never let you go without me." He smiled and sat down next to her. "Don't worry, you're gonna like this one."

"I will?" she blinked, certainly unsure of that.

Boruto nodded quickly, smile brightening as he pulled the case out of his pocket, and handed it over to her.

Her gaze drifted down to a small, velvet box in his hand and her heart started beating double time. "W-what is it?" Asking, not even sure if she wanted to know.

"Open it, silly."

Sarada swallowed and took the small box from his hands, and opened it up. Her eyes widened at the beautiful diamond ring that stared right back at her, shining brilliantly. At a loss for words, her jaw slacked, still staring at it.

 _Oh my god._ It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. "This is for me?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah!" He beamed, so happy he was near glowing. "And you don't need to worry about a thing, Hima is on top of it."

She covered her mouth with her hand and looked at him. "What?" It felt so overwhelming. This looked like the kind of ring she could only dream of receiving and it was sitting right at the palm of her hand. Hima? On top of it? On top of what? "I don't know what you mean."

What _was_ Boruto talking about? It looked expensive, probably worth someone else's house. Sarada wanted to be angry, but his smile was so bright, she didn't have it in her.

"The wedding, of course," He said simply.

"Whose wedding?" That would have been a stupid question, but her heart was working double time and her face was heating up, that she couldn't process anything properly.

" _Ours."_ Boruto rolled his eyes, the most affectionate look on his face. "Get it now?" He asked while swiping the box to take the ring. His eyes met hers as he took her left hand and slipped it on her ring finger. "Perfect."

The ring fit on her finger perfectly. The size of the stone wasn't too big, or too small, too. She moved her hand around, watching it sparkle. "It's amazing," she breathed. "Our _wedding_ , really?" Sarada would have laughed if she still wasn't so shocked. Boruto had apparently just decided and taken care of everything for her. She fought the smile coming onto her face but lost that battle.

"What if I said no?" she laughed at the way he visibly paled.

"From you? That would be a yes." He smirked.

Sarada scoffed and then laughed. "I hate you."

"I love you too," Boruto said, face toning down to a soft, genuine smile, his words tender and honest.

Her laughing stopped, along with her heart.

_He said it._

Dark eyes went wide, pupils dilated and her cheeks were dusted with the prettiest shade of pink. "Oh my god. You said it," she whispered, still in disbelief, but her heart swelled and she tackled him into a tight hug.

This was it. Happy tears fell from her eyes. "I love you, Boruto."

Boruto chuckled while winding his arms around her waist to return the hug. "I know."

Sarada looked at the ring on her finger, with a smile but it quickly turned into a scowl when she heard his response. "God, I _hate_ you!"

"I know." Boruto continued to laugh as if she were giving him the highest praise.

She pulled away, pouting and glaring at him before crossing her arms across her chest, nose in the air. "We better eat, I need to start working soon." She stood from the couch and walked over to the dining table, cheeks burning.

Since when did Boruto know the real meaning behind her _I hate yous_? She wanted to know, but a quick look at her ring, and then at him—that lovestruck look on his face—made her smile. It didn't matter when he knew.

After all, he said "I love you" to her first.


	43. The Engagement Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

"And _theeeeen_ , she really, _really_ said it." Boruto snorted, currently in the middle of telling a too-sober Sasuke how he and Sarada actually got engaged.

Today was their engagement party, a celebration for them where their friends and family came to show their support—some not so much, but they didn't dare say that. Sasuke looked the grumpiest of all, but it wasn't because he wasn't supportive, he was honestly happy with how things turned out. It was Boruto who was irking him, too touchy, too _friendly_ after way too many drinks. The party had only been going on for a couple of hours, but the blond took after his dad a lot. He was quick to get drunk.

"Can you believe it though…" he laughed obnoxiously. "She thinks… she actually thinks I confessed first. Ha!"

The twitch on his eyebrow wouldn't stop, and thank god he was holding onto a mug instead of a paper cup for it would have been crushed minutes ago if it were. Sarada had called him and Sakura right after he proposed, and he believed his daughter way more than the drunk fool in front of him. Arguing with him about it would only prolong the conversation so he replied, "Right."

" _Right?!"_ Boruto slapped Sasuke on his back a few times as he continued to laugh. "She has been in such a good mood since. Swear the mood swings are just happy and horny. That's it."

His grip on the mug increased and a little crack was heard coming from it. Sasuke understood his daughter's… fiancée was drunk.

 _Fiancée_.

The mug cracked a little louder but was still intact. He couldn't believe this was happening. A quick look to the side and he saw Sarada chatting happily with a coworker, the diamond on her finger shining as she moved her hands around. He supposed Boruto wasn't so bad if Sarada had been so happy lately.

"It's hard to believe, I know. I mean, who am I to actually _love_ somebody. A woman who isn't my sister or my mother… not even Auntie Hanabi. But Sarada. _Wow_. She's amazing and so beautiful. Smart too. And sexy. Fuck, how did I ever take so long to make her mine, Pops?"

He was rambling now, and just when Sasuke thought he couldn't get even more irritating with the mushy words (that Sasuke appreciated, secretly), Boruto had called him _Pops_.

Someone, please save this poor mug.

"Eeeyyyy Sasukeeeee," Shisui came rolling in, a tray in hand. "Let me get that refilled for you. Free-flowing booze, you know." He took the mug and replaced it with a can of beer.

"Best uncle ever." Boruto wiggled his brows, reaching over to grab a fresh beer from the tray, pointing his fingers like a gun at Shisui and clicking his tongue. "Drink more. Way more. Let's get drunk."

"You two already are." Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Drinking? Yeah, hell yeah." Boruto nodded and leaned over on the man. "Why you not?"

 _Because I don't want to look like a fool like you._ Was Sasuke's initial thought, but his gaze drifted to the living room, where his wife was having her fifth glass of wine. "I need to drive Sakura home safely."

"Oh, don't you worry, Pops. We have three spare rooms until the other kids come along!" Boruto grinned happily.

He looked at the beer in his hands and frowned. "If I drink it, will you bother someone else tonight?" He was _really_ not enjoying the way Boruto was stroking his back. Perhaps it would have been soothing if Sasuke didn't want to punch him already.

"Aw." He pouted. "Fine then. I'm sure my princess is missing me _anywaaay."_

Boruto turned up his nose and looked around until he found his girl. _Oh yeah._ His. All his. He quickly pepped up and pranced his way over to her, stealing her lips in a kiss while she was completely unprepared, not expecting it. She'd been in the middle of saying something to Kagura. And Chocho was listening too. Boruto didn't have any issues interrupting them and didn't kiss her quickly, no it was long and lingering with a lot of tongue.

When he pulled back he grinned slyly at Kagura. He couldn't believe there had been a time when he thought this guy could compete with him. _As if._ "Hello, Kagura. Didn't know you were here." He grabbed Sarada's left hand and raised it up pointedly. "Did you see?"

After recovering from his initial state of shock, Kagura smiled his usual prince-like smile and nodded. "Sarada showed me. I'm happy for you two. Congratulations."

" _Good._ That's really good." Boruto laughed and released Sarada's hand to wrap his arm around her waist instead. "By the way, Sarada… your dad is drunk. Wouldn't stop talking to me! I barely got away."

"Papa?" Sarada looked around and found her father staring at them, a crushed can of beer in his hand. She then turned and found her mother laughing loudly at what Naruto said, as she poured more wine. "I think Mama is, though. And really? He wouldn't stop talking to you?"

"Yeah, and he kept saying I was _annoying_ , you know what that means. He loves me. Just like you. Well, not _exactly_ the same, but ya know. Takes me back to you confessing to me like on the first day we met."

Her cheeks burned and she quickly looked at Kagura. "He's drunk. Don't mind him. He's crazy." She turned to Boruto and held his face. "How many have you drank?"

"Not enough, obviously." He snickered and held up his current drink. "Whoa, this one's waiting on me." Realizing he hadn't even opened it, he held it out with a pout directed at his fiancée. He didn't want to have to let her go.

Sarada rolled her eyes, but couldn't contain her smile. Taking the can, she opened it and handed it back to him. "Just for tonight, okay?" She said softly, kissing his cheek.

"Sure, no problem. I prefer being drunk on you anyway." He smirked darkly, blue eyes flicking to Kagura who was standing there still. Why hadn't he left yet?

Boruto turned his head before either of them could say anything, spotting Mitsuki making his way inside, wading through the crowded living room. Boruto didn't remember inviting so many people, but he didn't have time to care. "Well, _well._ The bastard actually showed up. Come on, Princess." Boruto said, not sparing Kagura another glance as he pulled Sarada towards his partner. "Mitsuki, you asshole." Boruto greeted him.

"Boruto," Mitsuki smiled softly, quickly turning his attention to Sarada. "You must be Sarada. I hear about you more than anything else."

"Hey, let's not go lying and shit." Boruto scoffed.

Sarada rolled her eyes at Boruto and extended her hand at Mitsuki. "Nice to finally meet you." She gave him a warm smile.

"I've been looking forward to it." He told her while shaking her hand. "Sorry, I'm late, got caught up with work. Boruto wasn't the only one who couldn't help me out today."

"Maybe you shoulda not been working, ya know," Boruto grumbled. "Nobody told you to work." He drank a little more, getting distracted when he heard Shisui yelling from the kitchen. Or was he singing?

Mitsuki smiled a little wider, and it unsettled Sarada by the tiniest bit, making her take a step back into Boruto.

"Someone has to do it unless we want to fall behind," Mitsuki replied, smiling even more.

"Well, you should also take a break," Sarada replied. "It's Saturday, after all. Have you eaten? Please help yourself."

"Wow, you're nice. No wonder Boruto is so in love with you." Mitsuki hummed in understanding. "I already ate. Thanks."

"The hell did he say to me?" Boruto asked Sarada while leaning into her.

She laughed. "That you're a slave driver and you're _so_ in love with me."

"Oh. Fair enough." He shrugged and then raised his beer, finishing it before he pulled the can away from his lips again. "Mitsuki, let's drink."

"Sure, let's get a drink." Mitsuki agreed, even though he _never_ drank and didn't intend to now. He was happy to please Boruto though and they had been friends forever.

"Okaaaay." Boruto beamed and looked back down to Sarada. "Tell me you love me."

A grin spread on her face and she rolled her eyes. She mouthed to him, "I love you," and blew him a kiss.

"So sweet." He cooed while Mitsuki urged him along. Sarada was immediately pulled into a new conversation but Boruto watched her until he was in the kitchen and she was no longer in sight. "I'm one lucky bastard, right?" He mused dreamily, but his expression twisted into one of surprise when he caught sight of Shisui clinging to Itachi, and not only that, but he was licking his face in a very _suggestive_ way. " _Get a roooooom_." Boruto laughed.

Itachi smirked, holding on to Shisui's face as he let him nibble his earlobe. "Perhaps we will." Itachi led Shisui up the stairs, the latter barely containing his hands on innocent places until they vanished from sight.

"Those horny bastards." Boruto rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter, finding many different types of liquor. "Well, well. Time for an upgrade."

The blond went about mixing himself and Mitsuki both drinks and then the two of them left the kitchen, Boruto drunkenly showing him around until they wandered into the den. It was empty, except for two people. Two people who just happened to be his baby sister and _Inojin._ Boruto's lips fell apart as he watched the guy lick the lollipop he'd been sucking on before offering it to Himawari.

"What the actual _fuck_ is this?" He squeaked, mortified, and outraged all at once. Not in his house.

Himawari took the lollipop from Inojin and placed it in her mouth before turning to face him. "Oh, hi, Bro." She even _dared_ to grin at him, as if she hadn't done a great sin.

Inojin grinned too, all innocent and happy like. "Heya."

" _You."_ Boruto almost dropped his cup, but before anything else could happen or be said, Mitsuki dragged him out of the den. "Mitsuki, did you fucking _see_ that shit? Oh, I hate him."

"Sure, sure." Mitsuki hummed. "I understand. Don't blame you a bit."

"Right? Shit. Disgusting." He shook his head, trying not to gag. But the Inojin and Himawari incident was forgotten when he found Naruto challenging Sakura to a drinking contest. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"Winner gets free ramen for a year!" Naruto proposed happily, words slurred enough to tell he was already heavily intoxicated.

His wife was standing at the bylines, hand covering her mouth. Sasuke stood next to her, rubbing his temples.

Sakura's cheeks were flushed, but the fire in her emerald eyes was blazing. "You're on!" She held up a fist, pointing at Naruto with the other.

Sarada covered her face, embarrassed beyond belief for both of them.

"My money is on Sakura!" Chocho cheered loudly. No remorse that her _boss_ was also challenging her. Shikadai strolled around, collecting money and bets.

"My money is _definitely_ on Sakura." Boruto laughed, stumbling a bit as he fought to dig his wallet out of his pocket.

Shikadai happily took his cash and went around collecting more. The party was getting crazier, people cheering and coming around them. Chocho poured shots for them, whoever could finish five first, wins.

Now, this game looks familiar.

Boruto looked to Sarada, ditching Mitsuki to go stand by her instead. His arm moved to rest around her shoulders, hand hanging just over her chest, which caught his attention and had him grabbing a boob. "Whoa, hello there."

She jumped and swatted his hand. "Boruto! There are _people_."

"I'm sorry, whose house is this?" He cocked a brow.

" _Ours_ ," she narrowed her eyes at him. "I also get a say around here."

"You're the mommy, and the princess, of course, you do!" Boruto huffed and leaned closer to kiss her cheek. "But as it is _our_ house, we do whatever we want and that goes extra for boob play."

"Behave now and you can get more later," she whispered seductively.

"Why?" He whined. "Shisui doesn't have to wait. I don't wanna wait eitherrrrr."

Sarada laughed lightly and kissed his cheek, her other hand coming up to cradle his face. "Just a little more, okay?"

"Fine. Guess I'll just drink then." He rolled his eyes, pouting playfully as he raised his cup and looked over just as the contest began. "Remember that time I kicked your ass by finishing first… and then you passed out on me… after not inviting me to celebrate… and I had to carry your ass…"

"I don't remember any of that," Sarada scoffed but leaned into him some more as she watched Naruto die on the second shot. Her mother was still at it. "Naruto is going to be in so much pain tomorrow," she muttered.

"Don't remember?" Boruto gasped. " _Sarada,_ how could you?" He asked as if he was greatly offended and then laughed. "You're such a liar."

She hummed, a smile playing on her lips. "All I remember is a grumpy baby the following day." She touched his lips with her finger and grinned. "Now _that_ , I remember clearly."

"Who?" He asked, brows furrowing.

"Well, he isn't _my_ grumpy baby, but I'm surely going to meet him tomorrow morning." She laughed again, pinching his cheek.

Boruto's face fell much further and he frowned, trying to understand. "What… you're… You're cheating on me?" He whispered in disbelief. "You're leaving me?"

Sarada had an amused look on her face and she giggled. He was so cute. Still an idiot, but _her_ idiot. "I'm talking about you, love. You're going to be grumpy tomorrow and I'll have to take care of your hangover." She hoped that was a clear enough explanation for his intoxicated and idiot mind.

"Oh, fucking hell, you scared the shit outta me." He breathed a deep, exaggerated sigh of relief and hugged her tight, nuzzling his cheek against hers. "What was that you said… something about _love_ hmm?"

She froze in his embrace. "I-I didn't say anything. You're drunk. Go home."

"You're lying again," he sang giddily. "And heyyy—I am _home_."

Sarada cursed under her breath. She was hoping he would be too drunk to notice. "Maybe we should get you to bed, then. You're hearing things."

"No way am ain't going to bed any time soon. Well… I suppose we could get _in_ the bed and not sleep." He said suggestively, voice dropping and breath hot at her ear.

The feeling of his hot breath on her ear made her shudder. That sounded like a good deal. "I can go with that," she smirked, pressing her hips into his a little more. "Let's get rid of everyone first, though. Don't want people hearing us."

"Then let's hope your uncles are already passed out." The rooms weren't that close… but Sarada's voice carried. "You gonna tell 'em or me?"

Taking a few seconds, Sarada replied, "I'll do it." She left his hold and went around whispering to the people who were sober, that the party was over. Some of them snickered, and brushed her off. She was peeved, but went around telling people, still.

After a few minutes, some made a move to leave but not everyone was cooperating. She looked at Boruto for help and he was more than glad to give his assistance.

"Alright, alright. Party is over, some of us need to get in bed, okay. So get, all of you." Boruto yelled loud enough to be heard by everyone and as soon as the words left his mouth, Konohamaru smacked him in the back of the head.

"I thought we were drinking."

"What?" Boruto turned around to glare at him. "I haven't seen _you_ in… in… where the hell have you been anyway?"

"Around…" Konohamaru smirked, cheeks flushed from the drink, one in his hand now.

"Whatever, don't care, I'm going to get laid so leave."

The older man's blush deepened and he stammered, looking around for his wife. "R-right."

Soon enough, people started leaving, and Sarada was near the door, seeing people off and letting them bring some food home. Once she went over to the kitchen, Boruto saw Kagura approach her and what is this—he _held her hand_ and _kissed_ it. She seemed surprised, taking her hand back and holding it by her side, her expression hardening by the slightest bit. His hands came up, looking like he was apologizing.

Boruto was absolutely livid. _Nobody_ was touching or kissing those hands but him. Damn sure not pretty boy Kagura. The move was way out of line and Boruto was going to let him know. He stormed over, fists clenching at his sides.

"Excuse me," he called, a tight, unamused smile thinning his lips as he reached them. "Did you just do what I think you just did?"

The panic was clear in Sarada's face. "Boruto."

Kagura held his hands up. "Sorry, bro. I wasn't thinking, but no harm done."

" _No harm done?"_ Boruto raised his brows high, laughing in a way that was almost frightening. "No. Harm. Done?"

She walked over to him and placed her hands on his chest. "Stop it," Sarada whispered. "You're scaring me."

"No reason to be scared, Princess. I'm just about to kick his ass." Boruto huffed, glaring daggers at Kagura.

She leaned into him and pouted. "Don't you dare ruin the house." Sarada looked back at Kagura, tossing a glare towards him. "Get out."

"Whoa… Sarada. You're turning me on." Boruto grinned, his bad mood evaporating. He forgot all about Kagura for then as he turned to her and slid his arms around her small frame. "Killing me."

Kagura used his distracted state as his opportunity to go. The smartest decision of his life, though drunk or not, Boruto would not be forgetting what he did. While the newly engaged couple spoke quietly to each other—sometimes not so quietly—everyone else started so file out as well. Before long, nobody was left other than their immediate family. And Inojin.

"Oh, still here, Inojin?" Sarada asked, before looking over at Himawari, sitting on the couch.

He yawned. "Just waiting for Himawari to leave and I'll head out, too. Shika had to drive Chubbs home."

"Long as you're going separate ways," Boruto muttered, not having time to deal with them when he had other really sexy things on his mind. His dad was slumped over on the bar, eyes closed, a goofy grin on his red face. Boruto wasn't so sure he could haul him out without them both hurting themselves. "Look at this idiot. Drunk. So drunk." Boruto shook his head.

Sakura was still on her feet, but barely. Leaning heavily on Sasuke.

"Aw, your mom looks like you when you're drunk, Sarada." Boruto cooed, nudging her with his elbow. "Except… you wouldn't be standing."

She elbowed him for the comment. "Shut up."

"Fine, alright. Let me lug my stupid old man out to the car." Boruto removed himself from her to walk over to Naruto and poke his cheek. "Dad. Dad. Dad."

"I'm up!" Naruto straightened, but swayed immediately and Boruto helped him by taking his arm around his neck and supporting almost all of his weight.

"Heavier than usual," Boruto huffed under the pressure, but started walking towards the door. "I can't believe you thought a drinking contest was a good idea."

Getting Naruto out to the car was quite the task, but Boruto managed. He took a few minutes to speak with his mom, making sure she would be fine with him and able to get him inside. Himawari was quick to reassure him and then blew a kiss to Inojin before getting in the car. Boruto didn't get anything. Shame.

After they pulled out of the driveway, Boruto turned and walked over to where Sarada was speaking to her parents. He placed his hand on her hip, tugging her against him while slipping into the conversation.

"Sorry I couldn't talk more tonight, Pops. You should come by for dinner tomorrow. We can catch up."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and tightened his hold on his wife's hips. "Hn."

"Sure you're okay to drive home? Really, you can stay. Shisui and Itachi didn't mind taking a room, that's for sure." Boruto laughed.

He cringed at that and sighed. "We're fine. Good luck with those two in the morning." Sasuke smirked and ushered his wife out of the house while she played with his hair and nibbled at his jaw.

"Well, now I see where you get it from." Boruto mused once they were in their car and he and Sarada were finally alone.

Sarada squirmed at the thought and shuddered. "They're really embarrassing when it comes to _that_."

"Really?" Boruto asked while locking the door. "My dad has always been an embarrassing one. Because he's an idiot. But Mom is just way too reserved. I can't imagine her ever coming on to him at all. Ew." He shuddered just thinking about it.

"Let's not talk about that, _please_." She was way too sober for this conversation.

"Right. We need to get your hands washed… and get you naked and in bed." Boruto hummed, slipping his hand to the small of her back to lead her along.

She giggled and did as she was told. "Maybe a shower first, though."

"You wanna fuck in the shower? Fine. I'm not picky." Boruto said with a cheeky look at her just as they reached the stairs, heading up right away. It had been a long night.

Sarada laughed. "Maybe we can start there but I'm too tired to finish in it. I want to lie in bed with you."

"Oh, no worries Princess. I'll take care of you." He promised, pulling her straight into their bathroom and over to the tub instead of the shower. He let her go in order to lean over and get the water started.

Sarada took her earrings off, along with her bracelet and set them on the counter as she watched Boruto get their bath ready. Taking her dress off in one go, she stopped to look at her ring, admiring it before removing it and setting it with the rest of her jewelry. She removed her underwear and tossed it all in a hamper, then took her glasses off last.

Boruto hadn't even started getting undressed, he was too busy getting a good long look at her. She was so perfectly alluring in every possible way and he wasn't sure if he'd survive the bath, but he would try. He offered his hand, letting her hold on while she stepped in the tub, and then he finally pulled his shirt off.

"I don't think I want more parties." He told her after dropping the shirt and getting to work on his pants. "I don't really like sharing you on _our_ time."

Her eyes trailed all over his torso before resting her gaze on his face and she chuckled. "Getting possessive again, huh?"

"What? I'm not like that…" he huffed, pushing down his pants and underwear in one go. He was already half-hard and ready to play, but he could be patient. Sarada left room for him to get in behind her and he took his spot happily. "I just want you to myself, ya know."

"I know, I know," she was smug about it but didn't really mind it too much. As soon as he was settled in, Sarada took the soap and handed him the shampoo. "Could you, please?" A soft smile on her face.

"Of course." He smiled as well while accepting the shampoo and setting it aside. "You trust me with this sprayer thing even when I'm a little drunk, that's sweet. Don't worry, I'll be careful." When it came to Sarada, he didn't have a problem with that. Sometimes he wanted to be extra gentle with her, but he wasn't sure if she preferred things that way or a little more intense.

For hair washing though, gentle and careful was the way to go. He wasn't _that_ much of an idiot.

"Did you have a good time tonight?" He asked softly while beginning to wet her hair.

She hummed, and closed her eyes. Loving the way the warm water washed down her hair and skin. "Yeah, even if it got pretty crazy. People really like the house, and the ring." Sarada looked back at him and gave him a small smile. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah!" He grinned before his face dropped and he rolled his eyes. "I mean, for the most part. Until the hand incident came about. But we're not gonna talk about that… not now."

Sarada laughed lightly and leaned back closer to him. "I knew you would bring that up. You don't have to be so jealous, you know? I'm in your house, wearing a ring you gave me, and having your baby."

"That's right. All of that. Except, I'm not jealous. I'm just… he _disrespected_ me and I never liked him anyway. He knew what he was doing, Sarada, and it pissed me off. I'll _never_ forget it."

She turned around to face him and sighed. "I know, and he said he was sorry but you're right. That was out of line."

"Glad you agree." He chuckled and pinched her nose, letting go of the sprayer to grab the shampoo instead. "Come back."

She turned her back to him again and laughed. "Just don't go picking fights and ruining the house." As Boruto started lathering shampoo to her hair and massaging her scalp, a sigh escaped from her throat and she closed her eyes again. "Mitsuki was nice."

"Mitsuki… I don't remember him leaving honestly. He's a good guy, loyal and trustworthy. Would never kiss your hand." He hummed while washing the full length of her hair, focusing on the ends for a few seconds before working his way back up.

"No, I bet he wouldn't because he was kissing Sumire's before leaving," Sarada said, a sly smile on her face.

"What? He was doing what now?" Boruto's eyes went wide, trying to remember. He must have missed it. His fingertips continued to massage her scalp, the shampoo smelling so good, just like Sarada's hair always smelled. It was a scent he'd gotten so used to.

Sarada enjoyed the feeling of him touching her this way, making her relax completely. "Yeah, I introduced them to each other and they really hit it off."

"Well, well. My little matchmaker." He laughed quietly, more playing with her hair now than actually washing it. "I hope he doesn't start slacking like some people would."

"He basically said you're a slave driver, so I'm guessing you can cut him some slack since you can relate now."

"Not a chance. I don't relate to slacking off. Besides, my only job is to support him. He's lucky I do so much more and I only do it because I'm so invested. I'm sure he won't go about this in the wrong way." Boruto said, smiling to himself while dipping down to kiss her brow. "Okay, maybe I'm a little caught up on my Princess. Fine, I'll admit it."

Sarada giggled. "I'm happy you don't bother lying about it anymore." Her hand stroked up and down his thigh soothingly. "I can't believe it's only been seven months and here we are. I really wouldn't have seen it coming. I'm happy though."

"I know… I feel the same. Really happy too. About us and about Baby too." He said while grabbing the sprayer to rinse her hair slowly, carefully. He tipped her head back a bit, watching his every move to make sure he didn't get any water or shampoo next to her eyes.

The smile on her face was so calm, enjoying every bit of his pampering. Once he turned the water off, she blinked her eyes open and looked at him. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me," he smiled brightly. "Unless… you could wash mine."

She grinned and then giggled. "Sure, come here."

They moved around until Boruto was settled in front of her instead, leaning back against her with a heavy sigh. "I could take a nap… and you haven't even gotten started."

Sarada poured some shampoo into her palm. "You can if you want to, but that will mean no more sex for you," she joked cheekily. Her hands came up to his hair, fingertips massaging his scalp.

"Well, I'll never let that happen. I'm enjoying it, but don't think I'm not thinking about it." He snickered, though his eyes closed from her gentle touch.

"I didn't think so," Sarada hummed and continued washing his hair, alternating with circular motions and up and down strokes. As the shampoo bubbled, the more his scent filled the air and she sighed dreamily. "I love how it smells like you."

Boruto smiled lazily, feeling the same way about all of her smells. "That right?" He murmured. "Guess I smell pretty good then, huh?"

She hummed again. "Yeah, you do. Better than beer." Sarada snickered.

"That was a shot at me, wasn't it?" He snorted. "Ugh, that nose of yours works so well too. I bet all the alcohol tonight has been annoying you. In the true sense of the word."

"True sense of the word?" Sarada was finishing up washing his hair, rolling her eyes, she asked, "What else could annoying mean?"

"Like you don't know," he laughed louder. "Has it _always_ had a double meaning for you?"

The hose of the sprayer clanked around as she held it in position to rinse his hair. "What are you talking about? Are you still drunk?" Turning on the water, she started rinsing his hair, using her other hand to make sure she got all the suds out.

"I'm not sober, but I know what I'm talking about. I can't believe you're still trying to pretend. Your dad told me everything, Sarada."

The room went silent when she turned the water off. "What did he tell you?" Her tone was lethal.

"About how you and him both express your feelings. I gotta say, it's not the right way to do it… but it's fine. I kinda like it."

After a few beats of silence, a strangled scream came from her throat and she immediately turned the sprayer on, blasting him with ice-cold water. "I can't believe he told you!" With her free hand, she started splashing him with water from the tub, cheeks burning.

"Whoa, whoa! Sarada— _the house_ , you're getting water everywhere!" He groaned, getting up to protect himself. "Try not to drown me over it. Shit, be mad at _him."_

She didn't listen, spraying him with water still. "What else did he tell you!" She was spazzing around in the tub, making the water spillover. The poor bathroom was a mess.

"Calm down!" Boruto whined, torn between getting out of the tub and sinking lower into it. That water was cold, too cold and he was freezing now. "Let's just talk about it!"

She wasn't listening and he couldn't take anymore, so he reached for the sprayer. Sarada wasn't giving it up and continued to spray him, so he leaned over her, forcing her back against the tub while he turned the water off. He was covered in chills now, and enough cold water had been added to their bath water that it was barely lukewarm.

"Trying to kill me?" He huffed, glaring at her, though his blue eyes were as soft as ever.

A pout formed on her lips, but her gaze dropped to look at his, only inches away. "Maybe."

"Hmm? Wouldn't you miss me too much?" He smirked, moving a little closer. Boruto knew what she wanted, but he would tease her before giving it up.

"Not one bit." She meant for that to come out as harshly as she could, but it was soft and lowered down with each word. She dipped a little lower into the tub, the cold water making her shudder. Or perhaps it was the way he was looking at her. She wasn't sure.

"You sure?" His left hand moved to her knee, slowly sliding up her leg until he was gently kneading her thigh. "Not even a little?"

A chill ran down her spine. She shook her head, eyes locking on to his.

Boruto faked a pout, staring at her longingly. His touch changed to only his fingers and they deftly skimmed over her sex. "Don't lie, Princess."

A whimper escaped her lips and her hands came up to hold on to his upper arms. They were cold. "Make me."

"Fine, I just won't kiss you until you admit it." He shrugged, grinning smugly as he leaned closer, close enough for a kiss. Just when she could feel his lips at hers without them actually touching. "What's it gonna be?"

She tried to get up to take his lips for a kiss but Boruto moved away, putting more space between them. This only frustrated Sarada more. The pout on her lips was starting to look permanent and made a move to get out of the tub.

"Wait, I'll get a towel and help you. Can't trust your ass when you get all flustered. I don't want you slipping." He pulled the plug and got up, purposely moving so that his dick went by her face on his way.

Sarada didn't protest or make a single sound, though her cherry-red face gave her away. Boruto stepped out carefully, mindful of the water all over the floor. He retrieved several towels, dropping a few on the floor in front of the tub. After laying his own over his shoulder, he held out the other for her, offering his hand.

"Careful now."

Sarada held on to his hands and got up from the tub, stepping carefully into the towel. Once she was steady on her feet, she let go and Boruto began to gently pat her wet skin with the towel. She was so quiet, but he could only imagine the thoughts she was having. They were enough to keep her from talking. He used the other towel for her hair, making sure not to be rough and cause any accidental pulls. It was easy to focus on her, so much that he was completely unaware of his still wet and cold form.

Once he was done, Sarada took the towel from him and started patting him dry, from his legs, torso, up to his hair. Her touch was gentle but still didn't say a word. His face was the last she patted dry. "Warmer now?"

"Better." He nodded, smiling his usual smile, the one she loved so much.

Sarada returned his smile and wrapped her arms around his middle, coming closer for a hug. "I still feel a little cold."

His hands went around her, rubbing up and down her back. "Let's get in bed then so I can warm you up."

She nodded against his chest but didn't make a move to get to the bedroom, already liking how warm his body was on hers. "Okay."

Boruto shook his head with a fond chuckle and scooped her up to carry her to their room. "You're really something else, Sarada." He mused as they reached the bed and he laid her down. He crawled right over her, resting some of his weight on her and inching his lips towards hers.

Sarada didn't move this time, only her hand did as she laid a finger on his lips. "Don't leave me, okay? If you do, I'll miss you. Too much."

When she admitted it so easily, so wholeheartedly, it floored him. Only for an instant though, because in the next, his lips were on hers. Soft, but firm and needy. It had been _too_ long since he'd kissed her. The last one had to be over an hour before. How did he survive so long? Boruto could never get enough of her. All of her. He wanted her all the time, forever.

"I love you," he whispered when he pulled away, though he was still close enough to brush his lips across hers.

A soft sigh escaped her lips, her breath fanning on his face. "I'll never tire of hearing you say that. Say it again."

"I love you," He said, lips spreading further apart as he grinned.

Sarada laughed lightly before cradling his face between her hands and kissing his lips. "I love you, too."

"You better," he laughed too, kissing her again while trailing his fingers down the side of her neck. "You're gonna be dealing with me for a long, _long_ time."

"That sounded like a threat," she snickered.

"It's just the truth." He shrugged and then kissed her cheek, the first of a series of kisses that trailed downward slowly.

A soft moan escaped her lips as Boruto worked his way down her jaw, and lingered at her neck before trailing down to her collarbone and then her chest. Her hands roamed his back, as he continued to kiss her body. Some kisses were soft, _barely-there_ kisses, while others were more like little suckles. All of them got a reaction out of her body, had her squirming, made her sigh. She made him glad to be a giver, and she _always_ tasted so good. He couldn't wait to get between those perfect legs that he loved so much. However, he did hover at her lower belly, admiring the roundness there. Still small, but _there._

"I love you," he said, blue eyes flicking up to her face. "Both of you."

Her dark eyes softened, and she stroked his face. "We love you, too."

Boruto brightened so much, eyes gleaming with adoration and smile so genuinely pleased. "Okay, stop." Too much was too much and he wasn't trying to be distracted right now. He turned his attention to her sex, spreading her legs as he settled himself on his front. He kissed her right thigh and then her left, not waiting long before his lips were ghosting over her slick folds. She was always so wet for him. Even more so since she'd gotten pregnant and was so horny all the time.

Her breathing had picked up so quickly, hips desperately moving to try and speed him up. He wasn't having any of that, so he hooked his arms under her legs, wrapping them around until his hands had a grip as well so he could hold her still. Another thing that had happened since she'd gotten pregnant was that she was even less patient than she used to be. That was really saying something and while it did drive Boruto crazy, it amused him too. Satisfying her was something he prides himself in, but he liked taking his time to do it.

It was his own heady desire that had him diving in, tongue darting straight across her swollen clit. She tasted so clean and sweet and was so warm and wet. Boruto groaned his cock twitching and tempting him into hurrying up. He needed to be inside of her. Not _yet_ though. Not until she couldn't wait another second.

That didn't take long at all. The more his tongue worked on her, the louder and more impatient she became. Soon she was tugging on his hair and hissing out threats. Boruto couldn't help but laugh and finally lifted his head, licking his lips on his way over her.

"Just calm down, Princess. I'm gonna make you come. That's a promise."

Sarada didn't doubt it, because Boruto always made sure she reached the stars. She was so close to them now and Boruto knew it. By now, he knew her body as well as his own, she had so many tells, including her voice as much as anything she did with her body. Her walls were quivering the instant he entered her and she arched her back, wanting all of him without having to wait.

Boruto didn't make her. He was too needy himself, too eager to give her everything he had while he kissed her deeply at the same time. A few thrusts and she was already clawing at his back and _shit_ , it hurt so good. Boruto moaned right along with her, working at the speed and rhythm that he knew she loved. He was so hard, so ready to come, so he moved deeply, purposely, never holding back.

They lasted mere moments before she could take no more, screaming out his name as she orgasmed. Seeing and feeling her come always did it for him, even if he wasn't already so close he would have lost it anyway. But this time he was barely hanging on, just enough to make sure the two of them enjoyed the intense and gratifying sensations they received from becoming one together.

Unable to bring himself to part from her, Boruto just rolled onto his side, holding her close and whispering 'I love yous' in her ear. Even after she had drifted off, clinging to him as she did so often these days, he continued to tell her how much she meant to him, how happy he was to have her, and how no matter what, he would always strive to be the best husband and father he could possibly be. His princess and his peanut would always come first now.

This was his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that they're engaged, what do you think comes next for these two? And saying I love you? Blatantly? We don't know who these people are anymore. Lol! Some of you have mentioned that this story is probably nearing its end, and what-no more drama? As if. We still have a few more arcs planned. :)
> 
> Have a good work week and wash your hands, fam.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kairi and Tyy


	44. Baby Time

When morning came, Sarada blinked herself awake, unable to move due to Boruto's arms wound tightly around her. Even his leg was thrown across hers and his face was buried on her neck, his breath tickling her. It made her smile to see him sleeping so peacefully. Trying to free her hand, she moved his arm down towards her middle and swept his hair away from his face, admiring how cute he looked. Debating whether she should stay in bed with him a little longer or to get breakfast started, Sarada kept on staring at his face, stroking his cheek from time to time before finally trying to wiggle herself out of his hold.

It took a good five minutes before she could slip away, making sure he wouldn't wake. Sarada planted a quick kiss on his cheek before going to the bathroom and sighing at the mess they had made the previous night. There were half-dry towels on the floor, and it was slippery, with dried up soap and some puddles of water here and there. Carefully walking to the enclosure, she took a quick shower and dried herself up, putting on a pair of shorts and one of Boruto's shirts.

Taking a peek into the bedroom, Boruto was still fast asleep. He had changed his position, now sleeping on his stomach with his face half-hidden on the pillow, and the blanket barely hiding his ass. She snickered and walked over to the bed, sitting on the side and stroking his back. He didn't even shift, and she quickly took her phone and snapped a photo of his sleeping face, barely containing her grin as she looked at the photo and took it with her downstairs.

Their house was a _mess._

Paper cups everywhere, as well as paper plates and cans of beer. The bottles of booze were still out, some missing their caps and Sarara huffed. The night before was great, but cleaning this mess will take _forever._ It was only nine in the morning, and she suspected Boruto wouldn't be up at least until noon. Well… better get started.

But before that, music. She hooked up her phone to the speakers and lowered down the volume, making sure not to wake Boruto. Once that was settled, she picked up a garbage bag and started cleaning up. Throwing in the cups inside, as well as the paper plates and plastic utensils. Since she was focused on the task, she was able to clean up in less than an hour, washing up the dishes next and finally making herself some coffee.

Taking a seat and enjoying her cup, she looked up the stairs, and there was still no sign of Boruto getting up. She took her cup up with her to check on him, still in the same position as she had last seen him. Still not wanting to wake him, she went back downstairs and made herself breakfast. It was half-past eleven when she finished, and he was still asleep.

Boruto would surely be hungover, she thought. Best make him a good breakfast to ease him into the morning and prepare an aspirin for him. Going over to the fridge, she picked up the eggs and milk and then opened up the pantry to get the flour.

Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and some fruit should be good.

Getting to work, she finished the pancake batter and got the pan ready, spreading over some butter before pouring it in. Once she was happy with the stack she made, she started cooking up the bacon and eggs, loving how the whole kitchen was starting to smell. She transferred it all into one big plate and set it on his side of the table, before getting the coffee maker to run another fresh pot for him.

Sarada walked up the stairs, holding on to a cold glass of water and an aspirin, and found Boruto lying flat on his back, snoring lightly. Too cute.

She placed them on the side table and then crawled into bed, hovering over him. "Boruto," she whispered and stroked his hair. When he didn't move, she leaned in closer to his ear, whispering a little louder, "Borutooo, wake up." Her hand moved down to stroke his bare chest.

Still nothing.

She rolled her eyes and started kissing his face, calling out his name from time to time. Her hand moved a little lower down to his stomach and off to his side, poking him a bit to wake him. "Wake up, my love. I have breakfast ready for you."

Boruto shifted once and then again, then he rolled over and groaned. "No."

Sarada laughed lightly and kissed his cheek. "I made pancakes." When that didn't work, she poked his side again.

"I'm sleep," Boruto whined, swatting lazily at her hand.

Sarada withdrew her hand and went up to his neck, lightly tracing the side up and down, hoping to tickle him awake. "I have coffee waiting, too, and bacon."

"Nooooo!" He whined, shaking his head and reaching around for the covers until he got a hold of them and pulled it up over his head.

"Really?" She grinned. "You're going to hide from me? Using this blanket to keep you from me?" Sarada tried to sound hurt, but a fit of giggles was starting to bubble inside of her.

"Not coming out," He mumbled from under the covers.

"Borutooo," she whined, but ultimately ended up laughing. She could hear the coffee finishing up. "Don't make me waste what I cooked, and don't leave me out heeere!" she shook his shoulder, laughing as she did.

"Uggghhh!" He slung the covers off of himself and rolled onto his back, blinking his eyes open to look at her. "I don't wanna."

Even if his eyes were still cloudy from sleep, they were still so beautiful. She grinned and swopped down to brush her lips against his pouty lips. "Good morning, love."

Boruto kissed her, not about to let her tease him. "Morning. I guess." He pouted but slowly sat up.

Taking the aspirin and water from the side table, she handed it to him. "Here you go. This should help."

"Oh, you're a godsend." He breathed, gratefully accepting both and quickly taking the pill. He finished half the glass of water and then finally got out of bed. "It's a little too early for all this though, don't you think?"

"It's already noon," Sarada explained, and then took his hand and held it to her cheek. "Come down and have breakfast?"

"Okay fine." He sighed, but a small smile touched his lips. They left the room together and ventured down the stairs, Boruto moving much slower than he normally would and he grunted with every other step as if he couldn't be bothered. "Wow, I can't believe how great the house looks after the party. I figured it would be a mess."

"It was a mess." She nodded. "I already cleaned it up."

"Oh…" He looked at her with a sulk. "Sorry. I think I drank a lot."

She squeezed his hand and led him to the table, making him sit down. Once he was settled, she kissed the top of his head. "It's okay. You were probably drinking for me, too." Sarada smiled at him before going back to the kitchen, pouring the coffee into two mugs and adding some milk and sugar to both. When she was back, he was already eating, but that pout on his lips was still there.

"Thank you… I'm glad I have a wife to take care of me," He mused quietly, eager to have a sip of his coffee.

"Wife?" Sarada laughed. "Not yet, but sure, I'll take care of you when I am, too."

"Might as well be. Close enough, right?" He hummed, had a sip of his coffee, and then set it aside in favor of having a bite of bacon. "Have you been awake long?"

Taking a sip of coffee before answering, she nodded. "Yeah, before nine, I think. I didn't want to wake you, you looked so cute."

"Me? Well… I am pretty cute, I guess." He chuckled softly and reached over to poke her nose playfully. "Not gonna lie… I only remember bits and pieces of last night."

Her eyes lit up at that. "Tell me, tell me." She couldn't help but giggle and then drink more of her coffee and steal a bite from his pancake, proud that it came out perfect.

"Uhh… I remember most things I'm sure. Mitsuki came and agreed to drink with me. Everything after that is a little choppy…"

"Oh, yeah, he was nice," Sarada poked his bacon and took a bite of that. "What else? You said Papa was talking to you a lot. What did he say?"

Boruto nodded slowly, remembering that. "Oh yeah, we talked for a long time… but it was me doing most of the talking." He shook his head, laughing lightly. "I'm pretty sure I pissed him off a few times, but he never hit me, so…"

Sarada nodded, barely containing her grin. It looks like her Papa was really warming up to him if he let him talk over him that night. "What else?" Her grin turned into a smirk. "Do you remember seeing your sister?"

Boruto's face fell and he gagged. "That, I was trying to forget. Thanks a lot," He whined and sulked, just like a big baby.

She laughed and patted his hand, urging him to eat some more. "Sure, sure. Oh, do you remember that drinking contest?"

He thought about it for a few seconds while sipping his coffee again and then hummed. "Ah, yeah. I do. Your mom kicked Dad's ass. And what the hell happened to my money?! Shikadai, that damn con-artist."

"You actually gave him money?" Sarada threw her head back and laughed. Just how drunk was he that night? "Okay, anything else?"

"Hmm… I kind of remember your uncles doing something that surprised me… but I can't really remember it properly. It's fuzzy. Did something happen?"

"I don't really know… come to think of it, I don't even remember seeing them leave."

As if on cue, two figures were heading down the stairs. Dark hair messy and clothes crumpled. They looked like shit, but Sarada blinked, and a sly grin crawled up to her face. "Good morning, Uncle Itachi, Uncle Shisui. Fun night?"

The two men froze in the middle of the stairs, a nervous laugh coming from Shisui. "H-heya, Kiddo. We were just… umm… heading out."

Itachi pushed Shisui to get him moving. "We'll see you soon, thank you for the party."

"Oh, sure," Sarada was giggling, knowing full well what had taken place the night before for them. "Do you want to stay for breakfast? I don't remember where you two went."

Shisui blanched. "Nothing happened, I was drunk and like—you know."

They finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the two edging towards the door and slipping out.

"Well… now I remember… great." Boruto huffed, not sounding happy about it.

Sipping on her coffee, she placed it down on the table and brought her legs up on the chair, grinning at him. "Oh, you should hear how they got together. That's something you'll _want_ to remember."

"Oh, I doubt it," Boruto muttered, pushing the plate towards her. "Here, you eat."

"Nooo," she pushed the plate back towards him. "I cooked that for you. Don't you like it?" Now it was her turn to pout, but her eyes were wide, giving him her version of puppy eyes.

Boruto frowned. "Don't you look at me like that. Of course, I like it, just… I drank too much. I can't handle anymore. I just want my coffee. Please eat the rest."

Still pouting at him, she pulled the plate towards her, feeling her hunger again. "Okay, fine." She pushed her cup of coffee towards him instead. "Here, you can have mine. Want me to make you more?"

"This is plenty for now." He smiled softly, still having half of his own cup to drink. "So, what am I forgetting… about last night?"

Taking a bite of pancakes and eggs, she thought for a moment before swallowing and saying, "I think Mitsuki and Sumire kicked it off well. They'll probably start dating. If they haven't already."

The blond scoffed at that. "Mitsuki? Date? Doubt it." It had never happened before and he couldn't see it happening now.

A small smile appeared on Sarada's face. "I wouldn't be so sure. You never thought you'd be in love but here you are," she teased.

"Well, when you're right, you're right." He shrugged, smiling wide at her. "I suppose we'll see what happens… Anything else?"

Their bath came to her mind, and she was about to bring it up but held her tongue when she remembered that he knew what she meant when she called him annoying a few months ago. Slowly, her cheeks reddened and she hid behind her cup of coffee. "Nope, I think that's it. Good sex, yes, that."

"I beg your pardon?"

Okay, that caught her attention. She placed her mug down on the table, afraid she would drop it. "You don't remember we had sex after our bath?"

"We took a bath?" He blinked.

"What? No, I mean, we cleaned up and then had sex." Sarada was trying her best not to remind him about that conversation. It was still a mystery to her how Boruto got it out of her Papa to tell him. Perhaps he told him about his own story with Sakura… but that was a stretch. That was personal to him and surely wouldn't have told Boruto straight up. No way.

"Are you lying?" His blue eyes narrowed on her. "No way in hell we had sex and I forgot it."

"What?" She blinked. "Of course I'm not. I was sober last night."

"Well, I certainly hope so." He snorted and raised his cup for another sip. "I'm really depressed now… how could we have sex and I not remember? Guess we'll just have to do it again. I hope it was good at least."

Sarada shook her head. "I knew you were going to say that." Finishing up the last of the food on her plate, she smirked. "You almost killed Kagura last night, too. Do you remember that? You scared me."

"That bastard." He growled, setting his cup down much harder than necessary. "Yeah, I remember. How could I forget that?"

Not wanting to ruin his already grumpy mood, she placed a hand on her chest and sighed dramatically. "You remember that but you don't remember having sex with me." Jutting out her lower lip and batting her long lashes at him, she asked, "Was I that bad, Boruto?"

It was a little uncharacteristic of her to be this playful, but he was so grumpy, she couldn't help but tease him a little more.

"Don't be silly. You're always amazing. It's me that I'm worried about." He sighed. "At least tell me about it, maybe you can refresh my memory."

She hummed. "Maybe I can show you instead." Enjoying the way his cheeks flushed, she grinned. "Maybe later, though. I'll clean these up, first."

"So mean." He pouted and got up to stretch. "I should take care of it, you have already done enough."

Letting him pick up the plates and mugs, she followed him to the kitchen. Boruto placed everything in the sink, getting the water running. Sarada wrapped one arm around his middle, and the other hand went up to his scalp, massaging his head lightly with her fingertips. He was most likely suffering a massive headache, but he still wanted to help her out. He was always taking care of her and she wanted to be able to take care of him, too. In any little way that she could.

"That feels really… good. I'll go to sleep standing here if you don't stop." He said, his hands barely moving around as he worked on the dishes.

She hummed and leaned into his back a little more. "I can massage your head for you later if you like."

"I really like." He nodded, trying to hurry with the dishes, but he was more interested in her.

Noticing that he stopped washing the plates and leaned into her touch more, she pulled her hand away from his head and took his hand, rinsing the soap away. "You can do that later, come to the couch with me. I'll take care of you."

"No wonder why I'm marrying you." He smiled lazily, going along with her. "Careful, if you spoil me too much I might drink more often."

She scoffed. "You apparently don't remember, but I told you you can only drink that much for that night." Settling them on the couch, she let him lie down on her lap, and she got to work, massaging his head, rubbing at his temples before moving to his forehead and then his scalp. Boruto closed his eyes, enjoying her touch. "Feel okay?"

"Mmm yeah." He whispered sleepily, happily nuzzling her lap.

"Are you falling asleep?" she whispered.

"No." He sighed softly. "Don't stop."

"Mhmm," she agreed, but didn't believe him one bit. His breathing was slowing down, relaxing into her lap even more. She kept on massaging his head until his lips parted, snoring lightly. "What a liar," she whispered fondly to herself. Sarada stopped massaging his head, but stroked his hair instead, keeping it away from his face.

Well… now she was stuck on the couch. At least, until he woke up.

.

.

.

Opening up her planner, Sarada found a red number 16 on it, and her eyes widened. The following day, she had a schedule to see the doctor and they were set for an ultrasound to find out the baby's gender. Excited, she picked it up and showed Boruto.

"Look, look!" Barely containing her excitement, she practically shoved the notebook up his face right when he got out of the shower. "Look what week it is!"

"Oh, I know, Princess… I've been waiting for this." He grinned, matching her excitement. "We're finally going to find out what our little peanut is."

Squealing, she nearly jumped up and down. "I can't wait. I want to know. Do you think it's a boy? Maybe a girl. Oh my god, I want a boy. But it doesn't really matter. I just want to know!" Pregnancy was really changing her. From the mood swings and the reactions, she just wasn't the same person she was a few months ago.

"Boy. Girl. I don't know, I also just want to know." He laughed. "Healthy peanut is all we need. And it could be twins, ya know."

She gasped and hit his chest. "Don't you dare! I'm the one pushing this out, not you." That happy mood turned into anger real quick, making Boruto laugh. He was probably used to it by now… but she wasn't. Sometimes she wondered how she didn't get whiplash from all of her mood swings. "You need to have twins in your genetic line for that, you know?"

"I know. And I do. My grandfather is a twin." He said smugly.

That anger quickly turned to dread. Oh _no_. "Shit."

.

.

.

Sarada was squeezing Boruto's hand in a vice-like grip as they waited for their turn. She wanted to know her baby's gender so bad, already thinking of possible names. Be it a girl or a boy, she knew she would be happy. Boruto was right, having a happy and healthy baby was all that mattered but _god_ , she wanted to know.

"I want to know already," she whimpered, wishing that the couple before them would already finish.

"I know, I know." Boruto smiled, patting their clasped hands with his free one. "Not much longer now."

Sarada pouted and slumped down on the chair, feeling very much like a child denied a piece of candy before dinner. Why can't the couple hurry up already? There were people waiting!

"Can we go shopping after? I'm so excited I want to decorate the nursery as soon as we can!" Boruto was hoping to distract her, and himself. He was as ready as she was after all.

Decorating the nursery? _Yes_. "Definitely," Sarada agreed. And the names! We need to pick a name."

"We do. Have you thought of any?" He asked, smiling brightly. With every day that passed, things just became more real and more exciting for him.

"I have a few," Sarada chuckled. "But I'll wait to find out first. I don't want to be set on it and find out I need to change it."

After a few more minutes, the wait was over, and they were called in for the ultrasound.

Sarada lied down on the bed, lifting her shirt up as the tech got ready to smear a clear gel on her tummy. Boruto didn't let go of her hand, and she squeezed his once the gel made contact, right under her belly button. It was _cold_. Would it kill them to warm it up?

The discomfort would be worth it, she told herself. The tech told them where to look on the monitor as they placed the instrument down on her tummy, pressing lightly.

The black and white images started to move, just as the tech was roaming around to spot their little peanut. Both she and Boruto stared on with wide eyes, the anticipation killing them.

"Are you two wanting to learn the sex of the baby?" The tech asked casually as she moved the probe around, spreading the gel while making a few notes through her machine.

"Yes!" They both answered quickly and she laughed.

"Okay," she hummed and paused over the left side of Sarada's lower belly. It was much rounder now, but she knew she would still get much, much bigger. "Here's an arm, and a little hand… baby is making a fist, you see?" She smiled as she moved it slightly so the picture was clearer on the screen.

Sarada's free hand came to cover her mouth, feeling tears come up to her eyes. How a little hand could make her feel so emotional was beyond her. That was their baby, making a fist. Her eyes never left the screen, wanting to see more of their little peanut.

"Oh my god, the baby has a fist." Boruto cooed, unable to believe it.

"Of course, the baby has two, actually." The tech giggled and then worked the probe to the other side. "Here's the legs, all crossed in there. I don't think they want you to know what they're hiding."

She gasped upon seeing more of her baby and laughed at the tech's joke. "Oh, no. But we want to see." Sarada laughed.

"We still have time, maybe they will open up, if not… I do have a few tricks." She smiled as she slid the probe towards Sarada's belly button, soon revealing the baby's head. "Whoa, baby has a lot of hair."

"What? Where? How can you tell?" Boruto asked, staring at the fuzzy image. They were seeing their baby for the first time and he didn't know how to handle it, really. But he was so happy.

"See here," She showed around the head, what looked like more fuzz. "All of this is hair."

"No waaaay."

Sarada giggled at Boruto's reaction, but she really was no better. The more of their baby she saw, the more she thought she would cry. It was real. This was really happening. She and Boruto have a _baby_. "Can we see more?"

"Yes, of course." The tech nodded, explaining every little detail about their baby. They were both fully enraptured in learning everything they could. She even paused over the baby's heart and hit a button that allowed them to hear its heartbeat. So loud and strong. "Okay, let's see if we can learn the sex now."

"Yes, please!" Boruto couldn't take it anymore.

Boruto was so cute when he was this excited. His blue eyes were sparkling, and it only increased her own excitement. She squeezed his hand, feeling anxious, nearly shaking in anticipation.

Would it be a boy, like her Papa wanted? Or maybe a girl, and she would be the sweetest angel ever.

The tech moved the probe around, settling over the legs. "Still hiding." She laughed but went on working the probe, shaking it around a bit, and Sarada gasped at feeling the baby move while seeing it at the same time. "There it is!"

"What?! Tell us!" Boruto bounced on his feet, nearing insanity by this point.

"It's a boy."

A strangled scream came from Sarada. She couldn't believe it, seeing it on the screen and hearing it from the tech finally pushed her to tears. "Oh my god." She looked at Boruto, a big smile on his face. "It's a boy! We're having a baby boy." Sarada wiped the tears from her cheeks, glasses going askew.

Boruto was all grins as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I can't believe it."

"Neither can I." She was still wiping at her cheeks, the screen looking blurry from her tears but she couldn't stop looking. "I'm so happy."

"I'll print a lot of pictures for you two." The tech said before removing the probe, taking away the image of their baby. She used a small towel to clean the gel from Sarada's tummy and then told her she could sit up.

Boruto helped her into a sitting position, laughing as she continued to cry. "You don't need to cry, ya know?" He teased her while the tech wrapped everything up and then offered the prints.

"Shut up," Sarada sniffed and put her glasses back on properly. "I can't believe _you're_ not. You're so annoying." Her whole face was puffy, she could feel her eyes and nose swell up.

"Yes, yes, I love you too." He snickered while accepting the prints and looking them over. "I think he looks like me."

Her heart fluttered at the thought. Having a tiny Boruto run around the house would be so cute. But thinking of how annoying he is, hell no. "Oh, gosh. I hope not," she scoffed. "I thought you said you wanted him to look like me?"

"I do, but damn, what are you trying to say here? You think I'm ugly?" He frowned, brows furrowing.

Sarada rolled her eyes and jumped off the bed. "Don't be silly. There's no way I'm marrying someone ugly." She kissed his cheek and took one of the prints from his hands, getting all emotional again just seeing their baby boy. "He's so beautiful."

"I know. I mean look at his parents, how couldn't he be?" He smirked.

She wrapped her arms around him and sighed. "I'm so excited."

"Me too. Me too. I can't wait to go shopping. You think he'll like pink?"

Sarada laughed loudly at that and nuzzled into him. "Maybe. Maybe he'll be as silly as you, too. And want to eat burgers for every meal."

"Well, not to start with. He needs teeth first. Then, he can eat all the burgers he wants! I can't wait to take him to Thunder Burger. We will go at least once a week still." He was speaking quickly in his excitement.

They both thanked the tech, holding on to their pictures and the results with the tech's notes. The two of them couldn't stop talking about their next steps. Going to the furniture store to buy more decorations, talking about what to paint the nursery walls, and what toys they should be considering as early as now. And of course, the gender-reveal party. It had to be extra. Boruto being Boruto already had a lot of ideas, and it only excited Sarada more. Even though they waited half an hour for their turn, it completely breezed by, as they were both so distracted on their phones looking at ideas for their party.

Her parents would be thrilled, for sure.

Finally, when they were called in for their turn, the couple was still all smiles, not coming down from their high.

"Well, you two look happy," Shizune grinned and took the folder from Boruto. "Were you happy to know the gender?"

"Ecstatic." Boruto beamed. "We're having a boy. Can you believe it?"

"Congratulations!" She beamed. "Isn't that what you wanted, Sarada?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I still can't believe it."

"Good," Shizune's smile softened. "Well, everything looks great with your baby. He's growing well. You should be able to feel him move a few times every hour at least. From here onward, he will become more active and your belly will grow more and more. Do you have any questions?"

Sarada did ask a few, asking for her diet, or if there were anything else she would need to do during her second trimester and what else to expect. While Shizune was explaining, Sarada stole a glance at Boruto, who was looking at her lovingly, the light in his eyes the brightest she had ever seen. He looked adorable. She gave him a smile and reached for his hand to hold.

As soon as they were done with the appointment, they stood to leave and walked back to the car. Boruto opened the door for her, but instead of hopping right in, she pulled him in for a long kiss. He wrapped his arms around her, happy to take the time to enjoy those sweet lips. When he pulled back, he was still all smiles.

"I love you. And our peanut… our baby boy."

She would never, ever tire of hearing him say that to her. To hear Boruto say that about their baby boy just made her fall for him even more. "I love you, too. We _both_ do." Her hand coming up to stroke her tummy.

Sarada loves her new family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a boy! Who do you think among their family and friends would guess if it was a boy or a girl? We have more domestic and baby-related things coming soon. Teehee.
> 
> Stay safe and healthy, fam.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kairi and Tyy


	45. Ita-kun, The Peanut Baby

It wasn't easy for Boruto to hold himself back from calling everyone to tell them the good news, but he managed, with Sarada's help of course. At least he had a distraction, they were going shopping for the baby and he was really excited about that. The nursery looked nice but plain. There were still many things they needed and he was looking forward to going on a spending spree.

The shopping center wasn't too busy considering it was a weekday and still during working hours when they arrived. That was good for them and this time things were peaceful because it was only the two of them. They walked hand in hand through the store, going for the crib sets first.

"Should we go with a certain theme? I've never done this before…" Boruto started looking through everything, finding lots of cute stuff they could buy for their baby. Making a decision wasn't going to be easy for him.

"I would be concerned if this _wasn't_ your first time, Boruto." She was being cheeky, poking at his side as she looked around the beddings.

"Don't go acting like you're experienced!" He huffed, but he was grinning from ear to ear. "I think we're doing well considering."

She hummed and looked over a duck themed bedding. "This is cute. Or should we look for a peanut themed one?"

"Aw, peanut… that's so cute." Boruto cooed. "I don't know, I kind of like that sky theme there."

"Ooh!" She perked up at seeing it, there were big fluffy clouds, and even had some cloud-like lanterns to go with the set. "This _does_ look nice."

"So soft, right. Like you." He mused, more looking at her than the bedding. "I like blue. We can add pink to other things."

Sarada giggled. "Cerulean blue, white and _pink_? What a combination."

"Oh, yes. It sounds so perfect," He said, so happy and honest. "Should we do it?"

"When you look this happy, how can I say no?"

"Right." Boruto chuckled, grabbing a set and putting it in the cart. "It will look great with all the white furniture too. Ooh, look, they even have these wooden letters. We need to decide on a name. Right now."

"You want to decide _right now_?" She gaped. "A name should have a lot of thought into it! Do you even have an idea of what you want?"

"I don't know… Boruto maybe." He shrugged, smirking at the idea.

"NO!" She denied it so fast and loud that some people looked their way. Realizing her outburst she sighed. "Boruto, please. I'm serious. I don't want our son to have his name rushed just because you want to get these letters."

" _Our son…"_ Boruto breathed, blue eyes looking to her in amazement. "I'm so happy, Sarada."

Her eyes softened and she smiled at him. "I know, I'm so happy, too." She walked a little closer, hugging him and stroking his back. "But we're still not naming him Boruto."

"Aw man…" He pouted, but couldn't help himself when it turned into a smile. "You don't have any ideas… I mean look at these letters. They're so nice and we can paint them, blue, white, pink."

Sarada laughed. "You're so silly! But yeah, I do have a name." Her cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink. "Itachi. Because I want to nickname him 'Ita-kun'."

"Sarada," He gasped. "You wound me." He frowned and shook his head, pouting again, for real this time. "You don't want another Boruto but you want another Itachi?"

She grinned and nuzzled his chest. "I've wanted to name my baby boy Itachi before I even met you. I love my uncle and it's a cute nickname, don't you think?"

"Your uncle is a big meanie!" Boruto huffed, pulling away to cross his arms and sulk. "But… I guess it is a cute nickname…"

She gasped, but the smile on her face was evident. "He isn't mean! He _loves_ me. And I can't even begin to tell you how many times Papa thought I loved him more." Sarada laughed at the thought.

"I can only imagine how he'll feel once he finds out you're naming your son after Itachi instead of him… or me." He rolled his eyes.

Sarada wrapped her arms around him again, a big smile on her face. "Does this mean you're okay with naming him Ita-kun?" She batted those long eyelashes of hers at him and he knew he was in trouble.

"... maybe." He mumbled and then smiled, sighing deeply. "I'm happy as long as you're happy, Princess."

She squealed and tiptoed to kiss his cheek. "Yay!" Sarada quickly let go of him and turned to get the blocks, but only getting enough for the nickname and not 'Itachi'. "I can't wait to paint it!"

"Me too!" Boruto laughed. "We'll have to buy you a mask though, don't want you breathing in any chemicals. I would do it myself… but I want to be able to do it together, ya know?"

There was no argument on her side, still just happy he agreed to name their baby what she has always wanted. "Okay, okay. We should get you one, too. I don't want you getting sick or anything."

"Aw, okay. I want to match you anyway. We can take a lot of pictures too, start an album for the baby. What do you think?" He asked as she placed the wooden letters in the cart and then they moved further down. "You know, I had an idea too… what if we had someone come and paint the room like the sky. To go with the theme, of course. Wouldn't that be awesome?"

"That sounds great. Maybe even put in glow in the dark stars. It would look cute." She linked her arm with his as they walked through the aisles. "I like the picture idea."

"Oh, we should also start taking pictures of you and baby. You're growing a lot more now. Ah, you'll need your own album. Shit, I need to buy a professional camera."

She laughed. "A professional camera? You're too much." Sarada leaned on his shoulder as they walked on, looking for more things they might want to buy.

"Just because my phone is supposed to have an amazing camera doesn't mean the real deal won't be so much better. Oh, but if I take them on my phone, I can look at them all the time." He hummed happily to himself and then turned his head to place a kiss atop hers. "Leaves me no choice but to take pictures from both. The electronics store is next, Princess."

There was no arguing with him, and she knew that. "Okay, love."

It wasn't long before they finished their shopping for the nursery and then moved to the electronics store. Boruto spent half an hour talking over the cameras with one of the workers before finally deciding on one and then their time to go home finally came. He was so excited, carrying all their purchases up to the nursery with Sarada following along. Right now, their home was quiet aside from soft and easy conversation between the two as they looked around the room, picturing it finished.

"We'll save the crib set and curtains for later… after painting." Boruto said once they'd finished everything else. Only the walls were bare, and only for now. He had many things on his mind, all baby and Sarada related. In the midst of his crazy thoughts, he snapped his fingers and turned to his fiancée. "Hey, let's have a party, like one of those gender reveals. It will be a lot more fun that way."

She poked his cheek, a grin on her lips. "I thought you said you didn't want another party because you had to share me." Sarada laughed and then kissed his cheek. "I would usually say no, but that sounds cute. It's terrible how having a baby is making me want to share this with everybody." Her voice dropped to whisper, "What is happening to me?"

"You're a mommy now." He grinned and returned her kiss by placing one to her own cheek. "This will be different. No drinking. Promise."

"I highly doubt that," Sarada laughed and stroked his cheek. "I'm going to be a mommy."

"Yeah, you are." He smiled fondly and then gave her a sweet kiss before pulling back and getting his phone. "Alright! I'll invite everyone. We can do it this weekend."

"So soon!" Sarada's eyes widened. "I can't keep disappearing from the office, you know? I have work to do."

"I said this weekend. Saturday. No work." He snickered. "There's no way I will be able to hold out longer than that. You just don't worry about anything, okay? I'll take care of it."

"But… I want to help," she pouted and then rolled her eyes. "I need to manage _your star,_ too. Can we switch tasks?"

"Star? What are you going on about?" He was at a loss, face scrunched as he tried to make sense of her words.

Sarada stared at him for a good, long while before finally resigning that he really had no idea who she was talking about. "Lily. The singer you sealed a contract with. You know, instead of the Kagemasa one that the team and I worked _really_ hard on."

"I did the right thing, Sarada. I don't make mistakes about stuff like that. But I'm so glad you have to deal with her and not me." He laughed and started typing out a text to forward to everyone.

Her cheeks puffed and she crossed her arms across her chest. "Whatever. Kagemasa would have been so much easier to deal with." A sigh escaped her lips and she made a move to leave the nursery. "I'll have dinner going. Don't spoil the surprise, now."

"Don't worry," he called back to her and then went to sit in the rocking chair to finish inviting everyone. Soon enough, he would get to hold his son in this rocking chair. He couldn't wait.

There was a lot of planning to be done before the weekend, so Boruto got straight to work. He decided to shop online for the party decorations, going with a cloud theme that would fit well with the nursery. His excitement has him lost in time until Sarada came for him once dinner was ready. Before the weekend came, he would have it all together and he couldn't wait to reveal the news to their friends and family.

.

.

.

Saturday arrived and Boruto was awake at the crack of dawn, eager to get everything set up. He wanted to wake Sarada, but she was sleeping so well and looked far too beautiful to be disturbed. She didn't need to be doing too much anyway, and if she was awake, she would want to help do everything. The party was from two to four that afternoon and Boruto has everything ready before nine. Before Sarada ever woke up.

He made her breakfast and brought it to her in bed, waking her up when he could stand it no longer. She woke up in a good mood, smiling and happily accepting a good morning kiss and her breakfast. Boruto sat with her, sipping coffee while she ate and they talked about the big reveal for the umpteenth time. When she finished, they had a shower together and then decided to laze around and watch tv to pass the time.

"Thriller?" Boruto suggested first, holding her against him with his arm around her.

"It's ten in the morning!" Sarada got a throw pillow and hit him with it. "Can't we watch something cuter? We'll be watching a lot of baby TV soon, though."

"You think my peanut isn't gonna like thrillers? Yeah right." He rolled his eyes and flipped through Ninflix, going to the kids just out of curiosity.

She gasped and hit him again, eyes narrowing. "You are _not_ going to let Ita-kun watch thrillers. I will put parental controls on the TV, one that even you can't get rid of."

"Hey!" He whined, poking out his bottom lip. "But he will love them… and we can watch as a family."

" _No_."

"Why not?" He pouted. "I love thrillers…"

"Ita-kun is a _baby_ ," Sarada couldn't believe Boruto was actually pushing for this. "I don't want him to be scared and have him clinging on to us all the time."

"And you won't let me watch either… so you're taking away my _thrillers_." He groaned. "I don't know if I can take it…"

She laughed and kissed his cheek. "When the baby is asleep, you can. How about that?"

"...you'll watch with me sometimes?" He asked hopefully, though tried not to sound like he actually needed her to or anything.

"That sounds like a possibility," Sarada rolled his eyes and got up from the couch. "But if you don't want me to, then that's fine."

"Of course I want you to!" He huffed. "Where are you going? Come back."

"You sounded like you didn't need me for a second there," Sarada hummed and she smirked.

"Whatever," he looked up at her and patted his leg in invitation. "I always need you."

Sarada walked over and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling her nose on his cheek. "I like the sound of that."

"You should be used to it." He scoffed in amusement while rubbing her back. "I think… I'd be kind of lost without you, ya know."

"I wouldn't know where I would be without you as well." Planting soft kisses on his cheek, Sarada kept going until she reached his temple and then kissed his brow, leading down to his eye, nose, and ultimately his lips, lingering a little longer before pulling away.

"I love you. Thank you."

"I love you too."

Guests started arriving before two. The firsts being their parents who were all at the door at the same time. Himawari was with them, the five dressed for the party to support their guesses for the baby's gender. Sakura, Hinata, and Naruto were all wearing a blend of blue and pink, as they had no preference and were looking forward to the reveal no matter what they learned. Himawari and Sasuke were in blue only though.

Not long after their arrival, others filed in. Itachi and Shisui were next, both of them sporting pink and big grins. Inojin was right behind them, but his colors were like a rainbow, totally not what he was supposed to be wearing. Boruto almost didn't let him inside. And he did stop him at the door.

"The hell are you wearing a rainbow for?" He asked, scowling at the multicolored shirt.

"Love wins!" Inojin grinned. "Whatever the gender, I'm all for it."

"Don't you think you're being a bit… _extra?"_ Boruto huffed.

Inojin hummed. "A dozen roses and chocolate-covered strawberries are too, but you don't hear me complaining."

"What? Somebody sent you those?" Boruto asked, not catching what he meant.

He laughed and tapped Boruto's shoulder. "Why don't you ask Sarada, Boruto?" Inojin walked right into the house, letting himself in. "Hey, Hima-chan!"

"Ugh." Boruto glared after him and almost closed the door on the next arrival. His whole face twitched when he saw Kagura. Until he remembered he was the one who invited him. "Kagura," he greeted with a perfect smile.

His smile was rivaled by Kagura's, equally as bright and charming. He wore a pink shirt. "Boruto, thank you for inviting me." He was even holding on to a small box, also in pink. "I brought your baby something, well, hopefully, I'm right. But if not, maybe Sarada can use it instead."

"Doubtful," Boruto mumbled while waving him in with a much tighter smile. "There is a place for gifts over there," he said while pointing to the table he had set up.

Kagura beamed at him and walked over to place his gift down, before going over to greet Sarada and chat with Inojin. Thankfully, he didn't make a move to touch Sarada this time.

Boruto wished he would. That would be the thing for him to do today. The door was barely closed before another knock sounded on it and he opened the door to find Shikadai and his girlfriend, Yodo. They were both in blue.

"Shikadai," Boruto smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Glad you could make it, and Yodo. Hello, it's been a while."

"Heya," Yodo raised her brow at him, but also offered a small smile. "When Shika told me you got someone knocked up, I wasn't as surprised. But _engaged?_ " She laughed. "I'm so happy for you."

The blond laughed and stepped aside for them to walk in. "A lot has changed for me… what can I say." He shrugged.

"He's so in love with her," Shikadai smirked. "Congrats, dude. Can't wait to add this to _another_ count of when I'm right."

"As if." Boruto clicked his tongue. "What are you even trying to say?"

"I won't need to ask twice next time," Shikadai laughed and walked into their home, hand in hand with his girl.

Soon, their house was filled with people, a near, even blend of blue and pink everywhere. Half an hour in, Boruto got everyone's attention to have them participate in one of the things he'd planned. It was a time capsule of sorts, where everyone would write down their hopes and dreams for the baby and then seal it away, only to be opened on his sixteenth birthday.

While everyone was busy, Boruto found Sarada holding on to a slip of paper as well, pen poised to write but her attention was on him instead, smiling the softest of smiles he had ever seen on her. She noticed he was looking at her, too, and she mouthed him an _I love you_ to him before giggling and going back to the task at hand.

He felt his heart flutter, but he forced his attention to his own paper to write down all that was in his heart when he thought of his son. He got cut short when he ran out of paper and sulked about that for a bit before deciding it would be fine. After all, he was going to be there every day to tell him in person.

He added his first and then waited closer to Sarada, wanting her to be second. "Can I see?" He asked in a whisper, trying to peek at what she'd written.

For a moment, she covered it with her left hand and pouted at him. "No, I don't want you to get a big head. Well, bigger." She snickered.

"Now, now." He grinned and held out his hand. "Don't worry about that… show me."

Sarada grinned. "No. But I'll let you see this part," she slipped her hand up and showed him the most recent line she wrote.

_I wish for you to be like your father._

The words made his heart stop, his breath hitch, and everything else but her just disappeared. "You wrote that…" he whispered, unable to believe it. He was absolutely _touched._

"Why wouldn't I?" she whispered. "I want our little peanut to be just as loving as you are."

"Even though… even though…"

Sarada laughed and slipped the paper closer to her so he wouldn't see what she was writing next. "Even though what, love?"

"Even though… I'm annoying?"

She flipped the paper around and looked at him, trying to glare but her smile won over. "They'll be annoying, for sure. But not as annoying as you."

"Sarada… you're annoying too." Boruto cooed, pulling her into his arms for a loving hug. "So, _so_ annoying."

Sarada laughed and hugged him back, nuzzling into his neck before letting go. "Let me finish this already. I don't want to be the only one who hasn't written anything yet."

"Okay." He nodded and waited silently for her to finish, only allowing everyone else to add there's after she had.

The box he had made was a sky blue with clouds all over it had the current date displayed on the side and was filled completely before he and Sarada closed it up and locked it. It wouldn't be opened again until their son's sixteenth birthday and that was something they were already looking forward to. So much would happen over the years, but Boruto expected them to all be happy, always. He would make sure of it.

There was a copy of the ultrasound blown up and on display, for everyone to see. It had been gushed over and guessed at over the course of the party and Boruto has Himawari take a lot of pictures with the new camera he bought. Finally, it became time for the reveal, and Boruto took Sarada's hand, leading her to the large cloud hanging from the ceiling. They stood beneath it, smiling at their guests.

"Everybody ready?" Boruto asked, not thinking he could wait another second.

A round of yes' and please's sounded throughout the room and the pair exchanged a smile as they reached for the strings attached to the cloud. Boruto counted them down and then they pulled at the same time. The cloud burst open, blue confetti raining down on them in heaps. Everybody in the room had to be screaming.

"I knew it! I KNEW IT!" Himawari squealed, jumping up and down while trying to continue to take pictures.

Sarada was laughing, watching her father's face in happy disbelief while her mother was shaking him… a little too violently.

"I shoulda known!" Shisui laughed. "You don't glow like that when you're having a girl."

Chocho was still screaming, genuinely happy while Shikadai and Yodo exchanged knowing looks.

Naruto was cheering, happy to have another boy in the family, while Hinata wiped a tear away, crying happy tears for the two.

"We've decided on a name for him too," Boruto said proudly while resting his hand on Sarada's hip.

A hush fell over, and all eyes were on them. Sarada took a paper bag and spilled seven blocks on the table before them.

"What the hell is that, a _dash_?" Inojin pulled the lollipop out of his mouth, face contorted. "What kinda name did you choose, Boruto?"

"What name is this?" Even Shikadai seemed puzzled, his genius brain going to work to unscramble the letters.

"Sorry to disappoint it's not your name, Sasuke-kun," Sakura laughed.

"Kun…" Itachi came forward and gently waved the people away as his hands went to work.

Sarada could barely contain her grin, knowing that her uncle had already figured it out. Once he finished, he took a step back to look, tears brimming at the corner of his dark eyes. "Sarada…"

Everyone looked at the table, and Boruto and Sarada made the letters stand, so everyone could see.

ITA-KUN

"His name will be Itachi. But, he will go by Ita-kun," Boruto explained with a broad smile.

Itachi wiped the tear from his eye, Shisui coming behind him to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He then looked at the two. "I can guess who the favorite uncle is."

Everyone laughed, and their parents came to the two to congratulate. Sakura gave each of them a big, tight hug, nearly crushing Boruto's spine. "I'm so happy and excited for you two," she gushed.

Sasuke gave his daughter a hug and patted Boruto's shoulder. _Progress_.

"You approve, right, Pops? You're happy?" Boruto asked, blue eyes sparkling in happiness.

"Hn." As much as Sasuke tried, he couldn't stop from smiling at Boruto. Sasuke guessed right, and if Sarada was really serious, Sasuke had been wanting a boy since he found out she was pregnant. "Congratulations, you two."

Boruto hugged Sasuke excitedly, grinning from ear to ear before he was stolen by his own parents who formed a group hug with him and Sarada. It only lasted a moment before Naruto pulled Boruto away, holding him tight and lifting him off his feet, being as extra as possible.

"Dad, oh my god _dad,_ put me down this instant!" Boruto hissed, face flaming.

Naruto laughed as he released his son and ruffled his hair. "You know they say everything you do as a kid comes back double through your own children. Good luck."

 _Bastard._ "Hey, I have always been a perfect son." Boruto frowned.

"Never said you weren't." Naruto smiled softly and embraced him once more before turning to Sarada and giving Himawari the chance to pounce on him.

She took his by surprise, jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck, leaving him no choice but to wrap his arms around her to keep them upright.

"Bro, you're making me an auntie. You're giving me a nephew… Ita-kun… I love him so much already!"

"So do I." He chuckled and then bent down to set her on her feet. "I'm sure you'll spoil him every chance you get… and the other kids too."

"There's going to be more!" Himawari squealed and pulled Sarada for a hug. "Oh, I want them! I want _plenty!"_

Sarada laughed and hugged her back. "Now I know you two really _are_ related."

"There will be lots of kids, no worries," Boruto smirked and then leaned over to kiss the woman he loved. His princess, the mother of his child, his soon to be wife.

Through her, he knew he would find and maintain true happiness. Unconditional love and an unbreakable bond. He wasn't just a man anymore. He was a man with great responsibility and a family to look after. Knowing that gave him the utmost satisfaction. His life felt so much more meaningful than it ever had before and he was really and truly happy.


	46. Boruto Belongs to Sarada

Once they pulled into her office building's driveway, Sarada leaned in to give Boruto a kiss before hopping out of the car. Usually, he would insist to park and walk her to her desk, but not today. She had a meeting to catch up to, with only ten minutes left until she had to dial in. He wasn't too happy about it, but the call would be with Lily and her manager, and Sarada had to be ready.

Hurrying into her office and dropping her belongings on her desk, Sarada took her laptop and notebook and made her way to the meeting room, where Chocho and Inojin were already set up and in the call. She opened up her laptop and waited for Lily and her manager to join the call. While waiting, the mic was on mute, and the three fell into conversation after they said their good mornings.

"I'm so excited!" Chocho gushed. "And a boy! I can already imagine how he might look like."

Sarada grinned. "Yeah? He'll definitely be cute." She held back by saying how much she wished he would have Boruto's blue eyes.

"Hopefully," Inojin smirked. "How have you and Boruto been? Barely see you around here these days."

"It's been busy," Sarada flipped open her notebook, to a blank page. "But it's been amazing." Her gaze stopped at her engagement ring, grin widening.

"I bet!" Chocho practically had stars in her eyes. "I knew you would find love sooner or later. I wouldn't have guessed it would be with the president's son but oh well." She rested her chin on her hands and grinned. "Well provided for, good looking, and is head over heels for you. Nice win, girl."

Inojin opened up a new lollipop and popped it in his mouth. "Yeah, I guess that bastard's okay."

Sarada rolled her eyes. Ever the potty mouth. "Still don't like him? You need to if you want help to get Hima, you know?"

Inojin pouted. "That's between me and her, alright?" He sighed dreamily. "Dating her is like a dream. She's such an angel."

She laughed, guessing that he and Himawari have never gotten into an argument yet. Inojin is in for a wild surprise. "Oh yeah, definitely an angel. Scary, too. I would say Boruto's the harmless one."

Inojin snickered. "Yeah, right. Hey! He asked me to help paint your nursery. Something about a sky theme, right?"

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, he did?" It was refreshing to see Boruto trying to reach out to Inojin. Perhaps they were both going to be good friends, after all. "Yeah, it will be."

"Consider it my gift for Ita-kun. I'll paint it up like the Sistine Chapel."

Before Sarada could respond, a voice called out to them on the microphone. "Borutoooo! Good morniiiing!" The high pitched sugary-sweet voice was unmistakable.

Chocho pressed the button, removing the mic from mute.

"Good morning, Lily," Sarada greeted her, in her formal phone voice. Her manager phoned in to join and was greeted by the rest of the crew. Sarada led the discussion, giving a roll call for the people in the meeting room with her. "May I know who else is on the line?"

"Where's Boruto?!" Lily huffed. "Why isn't he here?"

 _Oh boy_.

Inojin silently mocked her, tucking his hair back on his ear and giving googly eyes. Chocho slapped his shoulder, but also snickered at his antics. Sarada gave them a pointed stare. Today was about business.

"Boruto is no longer connected with the company," Sarada said. "I am the new Marketing Director. I apologize I haven't sent you the notice."

Inojin, Chocho, and Sarada had to push back from the mic, as the pop star _screeched_. Demanding for an explanation and why did she not receive a note from him sooner. "Since when was this in effect?"

"Since April first," Sarada informed her.

"That's weeks ago!" Lily kept on screaming, demanding to know where he was now and what he was doing. "Why didn't he tell me he was leaving?" She cried.

Taking a deep breath, Sarada replied. "Boruto had a lot on his plate, turning over his work and was preoccupied with personal matters."

"What personal matters? What could matter more than _me_?"

Oh my god. The audacity of this girl.

Inojin quickly put the mic on mute, he had an evil grin on his face. "So are you gonna tell her you're the reason why he was so busy or are we just gonna like," he threw his hand in the air, "Pretend he was never even here?"

Sarada held up her hand and calmed herself. She put the mic back on. "Boruto is pursuing some investments, and focusing on his self, and family."

"Family?" Lily was incredulous. "What on earth can he do with his family that his father can't attend to himself?"

Now it was Chocho was the one who put the mic on mute. "Umm… his son and fiancée? Can't imagine Mr. Uzumaki would attend to those." She snickered.

Sarada swatted her hand away and put the mic back on. This whole ordeal was putting her in a sour mood, and her morning sickness apparently decided now was a good time to visit. She took a sip of water and finally spoke. "As I mentioned, they are personal matters. And Boruto is not the topic of discussion for this meet—"

There was a click, and Chocho looked at her laptop. "Oh… Lily hung up."

The manager apologized profusely and offered to take them to dinner to show her sincerity. "It seems Lily was shocked to know Mr. Boruto was no longer with the company… you'll have to excuse her. She was really taken by him, you know?"

"We understand," Sarada replied coolly. She felt her breakfast coming up and she struggled to keep it down. "If you don't mind, might we discuss the promo? Chocho will lead the discussion. Please," She looked at her, signaling she had to run. "Share your screen and show them the material Inojin prepared."

"Y-yes," Chocho was shocked.

But the moment she agreed, Sarada ran out of the room to the bathroom, barely making it in time to the toilet. She didn't even have time to close the door, only kneeled on the floor and heaved. Thank god she stopped wearing heels and opted for pants today, but this was nowhere near how she planned her morning to go.

Her morning sickness was persistent, and she spent the whole meeting duration in the bathroom. Later, she requested for a bucket to be brought to her office, and she forced herself back on her desk. It was already eleven in the morning, and she still had no progress with her work. Generally, Sarada had no complaints being pregnant, but today, she wished she wasn't.

It just wasn't a good day.

Boruto called her after a while, asking if she was craving for anything in particular for lunch. Knowing he was coming made her happy, but also stressed her out knowing he would force her to come home if he knew she spent the whole morning vomiting the breakfast he cooked. Just thinking of food was making her sick all over again.

"I'm not hungry," she replied. "I'll be working through lunch today."

"Oh? Oh, that's what you think? Hm? Okay. Ha! I'm on my fucking waaaaay."

She groaned and ended the call. Boruto screaming at her was the last thing she needed right now, but the food really wasn't appealing to her either. Sarada looked at the bucket next to her. It was empty, but she already felt like heaving.

Boruto burst into her office, not even bothering to knock. His arms filled with bags of food. "Hello, my little mood swinger," He said with a very tight smile as he walked over and set all the bags on her desk. "I do hope you've thought this through before I got here."

All those bags of food looked scary. It looked like their grocery for a week. "That's… that's too much." She frowned. "It's not like you to waste food, either."

"Well, _somebody_ wouldn't tell me what they wanted. So, here we are. I'm not stupid. I can't show up with one thing and it not be what you want so of course, I brought options. Whatever you don't eat won't be wasted, don't worry." He sighed after his rambling, finally calming down a bit. "I went by Thunder Burger too… in case you were wondering."

Sarada steeled herself and swallowed, as Boruto opened up the food he got one by one. There was a burrito, a burger, some rice, and fish, fried chicken, and pasta. All the smells were so intense, and it overwhelmed her to see her desk slowly be filled with food. Bile was quickly rising to her throat. Just when Boruto was talking to her, Sarada held up her hand and threw up on the bucket next to her chair. Boruto was quick to move to her side, making sure her hair was out of the way while rubbing her back soothingly.

"Don't tell me you've been doing this all day." He groaned quietly.

She didn't even want to reply to that. Sarada closed her eyes and groped around her desk for a tissue to wipe her mouth with. "I'm fine." her voice was scratchy, though. Totally not cooperating with her to convince her fiancée.

"You're not," Boruto argued, grabbing a tissue and bypassing her hand to wipe her mouth himself. "Don't worry, I'll fix it." He gave her a soft smile and then started packing up all the food again.

Her dark eyes were wide, silently begging him. "I don't want to go home…" Lies. She wanted nothing more than to sleep. "I have so much work to do." Finally, the truth. She had been falling behind, with all of her checkups and events going on. The slightest morning sickness, should it occur before Boruto drove her to work, had him calling Konohamaru to let her stay at home. There were perks to being part of the family in the family business, but it didn't sit well with her work etiquette to keep on going this way. Chocho and Inojin never complained, knowing she was pregnant, but it wasn't fair to them and Sarada felt guilty.

"We can take your work home… and I could help catch you up. It's really not a problem. I'm quick with stuff like that, ya know."

"You've already done a lot," she whined. Boruto had been giving her the world, sun and stars included and it hurt her pride to know that she had rarely contributed anything significant. He could do her work for her, but she wasn't going to let him. "This is my job, and I need to be the one to do it. We're already one manager down, I can't have Chocho and Inojin doing my work."

"Can you just… hush and let me take care of you?" He asked though he was already packing up her things.

"Can't you let me take care of work myself?" She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest.

"You have to take care of yourself first, Sarada," He told her pointedly while putting her laptop away and then gathering it and everything else. "Come on,"

Sarada didn't move from her seat, only glared at him stubbornly. By the looks on his face, him carrying her out of this office was a huge possibility. If he took a step, she was ready to fight.

He did take a step towards her, and she pushed her chair back, but she was saved when Chocho knocked on the door, "Saradaaa!" She stopped when she saw Boruto in her office. "Oh, I didn't know you would be here." She grinned. "Sarada, dinner later with Lily? Her manager was… insistent."

Sarada glared at Boruto. "See? Kagemasa was a better option." Turning her attention back to Chocho, she sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll be working from home in the afternoon. Please send me the details, I'll meet you there."

"Excuse me?" Boruto balked. "You're getting in bed. That's where you'll be having dinner. Why don't you let me handle Lily?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "No. _I'm_ going to dinner. You no longer work here." Honestly, who did Boruto think he was? He's no longer the Marketing Director, and just because he was the President's son doesn't mean he had the right to boss everyone around. _Especially_ not Sarada. Just the thought of having Lily all over her fiancée was already making her blood boil. "I don't want you anywhere _near_ dinner, too."

"Why the hostility? I'm just trying to help. Why are you so mad at me?" He frowned, backing up a step. "You think I'm trying to take your job or something?"

"That's what you insinuated just a little while ago," Sarada snapped.

Chocho took a step back and escaped out of the office. And she thought she wouldn't have to see them fighting in the office again. Fat chance.

"Let's just go already before I throw up again."

"Fine." Boruto sulked, taking everything with him as he walked to the door and opened it, waiting for her there.

Sarada stood up and picked up her purse, walking towards him and out of the office. She sent Konohamaru a quick text to let him know she would be working from home as they left. The drive was silent, and not half as traffic. Boruto kept his eyes on the road, and Sarada was swallowed up by guilt yet again. Okay, maybe he didn't deserve to get yelled at like that but he was being so annoying.

His hand rested on his lap, and she wordlessly took it in hers, giving his hand a squeeze before resting it on her lap. Boruto didn't say anything for another minute, too torn and mixed up from his own wayward thoughts.

When he finally spoke, it was with a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, Sarada… I didn't know how strongly you felt about this… or that I was upsetting you. I won't interfere with your work again."

Her eyes softened and she brought his hand to her cheek, leaning on it. "No, I'm sorry. I know you were only trying to help. But… you've been doing so much. I don't want to burden you with this also." She sighed. Okay, it _really_ wasn't fair for her to have yelled at him like that. "Just… let me deal with this, okay? And I don't want Lily all over you again," she muttered.

"Lily? Don't tell me she's what really has your panties twisted." He shook his head. "I'm not trying to win her over anymore, so don't think I wouldn't put her in her place."

Sarada dropped his hand on her lap and she puffed her cheeks. "As if. She's so _infuriating_ and _unprofessional_. _Whining_ like a _brat_ that you weren't at the call." Oh, it was making Sarada mad all over again. She wanted nothing more than to tell the popstar that Boruto was busy because he was taking care of _her_.

"Aww, my poor Princess." Boruto raised his hand from her lap to poke her cheek affectionately. "Don't be so upset. I'm sure she got over it once you explained I was no longer with the company."

"Not even close!" Sarada scoffed. "She was demanding to know why you left and what exactly were the _personal matters_ you were attending to now. She was so upset you didn't tell her you left. Why _didn't_ you tell her, anyway? Didn't you send that farewell email to everyone?"

"What the hell do I look like, explaining myself to _her?_ She's nothing to me. She wasn't one of my employees and the girl already thought she could have whatever she wanted. _Not._ I was too happy to pass her off to you."

Sarada rolled her eyes and huffed. "What a good boss. Now I have to deal with her later at dinner." That was something she was not looking forward to. "I hope I throw up on her."

"Oh my goodness, so _dramatic."_ Boruto snorted. "Take me and I'll handle her ass."

She glared at him, lower lip jutting out. "The only ass you're handling is _mine_." Just the thought of Boruto even touching Lily was already making her upset enough as it is.

"Whoa, _shit,_ back up. That is _not_ how I meant that." He quickly defended himself. "I meant that I'd deal with her… as in, get her to chill."

"That better be," she hissed. On most days, these little things wouldn't get to her but today, it was rubbing her in all the wrong places. "I'm wearing my ring and I hope to god someone asks me about it."

"Well… you never know, from the looks of it, you may just end up with Kagemasa like you wanted."

Her eyes lit up. "You think she'd be willing to pay the separation fee?" Sarada then laughed at herself. Seriously? Hoping for the worst? What was happening to her?

"If you piss her off enough, sure. I don't have anything to do with the company anymore so I don't care what happens."

As a mature adult, Sarada did the only thing that was called for in this situation… she stuck her tongue out at him.

That was a lie and she knew it.

.

.

.

Thankfully, Sarada no longer threw up in the afternoon and actually got some work done. _After_ Boruto fed her, that is. He got her into bed and nearly forced her to sleep, too. Thankfully Mitsuki called him for an emergency, and she was able to get her laptop into bed with her. The rest of the afternoon was just her taking calls and emailing from her bed with Boruto next to her. It was nice, and she wondered briefly why she even wanted to stay in the office earlier.

Getting ready for dinner, Sarada picked out a nice black dress and flats. She picked out the small diamond studs her grandmother gifted her and paired it with her engagement ring. Simple, yet elegant. Looking at her reflection one last time, her gaze dropped to her tummy, seeing the bump slightly bigger than it was the week before. Sarada laughed, thinking that she already looked like she had her dinner.

Boruto drove her to the restaurant and told her he would pick her up, right when they were done. She smiled and kissed his lips before hopping out of the car. "I'll see you later."

"Try not to go off, if you can, Mommy." Boruto grinned at her and blew her a kiss.

Sarada rolled her eyes and shook her head. He was really something else. Chocho and Inojin were already there. It was no surprise to them that Lily and her team were half an hour late. Sarada thanked Lily and her team for dinner, and much to their surprise, Lily apologized.

"I'm _sooo_ sorry for my outburst earlier," she drawled. "It was just such a surprise. Boruto and I really had a connection, you know?" Her sigh was dramatic and it would have fooled anyone, except Sarada.

Sarada gave her a tight smile. "Boruto leaving was quite sudden, and we were shocked, too. But he's doing good with his new endeavor and that's all we could wish for him."

"Why did he have to leave?" She cried. "He was so good at his job."

Chocho and Inojin exchanged looks. "Shame," They said at the same time.

"Truly," Sarada added dryly and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Ooh, that's a lovely ring, Sarada-san," the manager complimented. "Is that… an engagement ring?"

"Oh," Sarada looked at her ring and grinned. "Yes, it is."

"Miracles do happen," Lily muttered behind her champagne glass.

Sarada felt her brow twitch. Oh, this bitch was in for it. But no matter how much she raged on the inside, the smile on her lips was pleasant and friendly. "It was quite sudden, but I'm really glad we're engaged now."

"Do tell how it happened," Chocho placed an elbow on the table and grinned. "I _love_ hearing this story," She looked at Lily and giggled. "It always gives me butterflies."

Oh lord. Someone help her. Sarada wasn't planning on telling them until the end of the night. She swallowed and chucked. "It's nothing, really."

"Do tell me!" The manager was already swooning. "And that diamond looks huge. Someone rich, I suppose?"

"Since the day he was born," Inojin laughed.

These two were digging her grave. "I would say he's comfortable. Respectable family."

This got Lily interested, though. "Well, who is it? Do you have a photo? He can't possibly be that much of a big deal." She held her hand out, waiting for a phone or a photo as she eyed Sarada's ring.

There was no turning back now, was there? Perhaps Boruto was right. She would be getting Kagemasa like she wanted to. Taking a deep breath, she smiled her best smile but froze when she felt her stomach churn.

Oh no. Not now.

Her hand came up to cover her mouth and she stood abruptly, looking at Chocho to explain before running for the bathroom.

"Excuse her," Chocho laughed nervously. "Bad stomach and all."

"I thought morning sickness only happened in the morning?" Inojin muttered, too low, only for her to hear. She elbowed him and changed the topic, back to Lily, so the mood would lighten.

Once Sarada was back, she spotted them all laughing and she was relieved to have had the attention diverted from her. But as she was settling in her seat, Lily spotted her tummy and giggled.

"Looks like someone enjoyed the food a little _too_ much."

"What?" Inojin still had food in his mouth, and laughed. "Dude, that's nothing, she's pregnant." And he _froze_.

Everyone did.

Sarada groaned and wished for nothing more than this day to be over. "Yes, I'm pregnant. Twenty weeks in."

"Congratulations!" The manager grinned.

"So _that's_ why you got engaged?" Lily smirked.

Sarada hummed. "Not really. It was a surprise, is all. After the house, the engagement was the next gift he got me."

Well. No bother hiding it now.

Lily seemed to have lost interest in the topic, convinced her pregnancy was the only reason and changed the topic back to herself. Dinner went by without another word about Sarada and she texted Boruto under the table that she wanted to go home.

He replied almost instantly, texting back he was on the way.

The team walked Lily out to the front, but her car was behind another, and Sarada felt herself smile. Boruto stepped out of his car, blue eyes locked on her, bright as ever. He was smiling his best smile as he closed his door to walk over to her.

"Borutoooo!" Lily screamed, but stopped when he walked right by her. Her eyes followed him, and she gasped to see him wrap his arms around Sarada's waist and kiss her temple.

Sarada wrapped her arms around him, too. And looked at Lily. "Your vacation story in Milan was so interesting, I wasn't able to mention who my fiancée was." Boruto held her hand and led her to the car, opening the door for her like he always did.

The popstar's jaw fell to the floor, unable to utter another word.

"Have a good night." Sarada grinned and waved at them. "And thank you for dinner, Lily. My baby and I are full and happy."

"Then you have my thanks as well, Lily," Boruto said to her with a smile that didn't come close to the one he saved for Sarada. "I need my princess and my peanut in top form. Always." He flicked his finger across Sarada's nose playfully and then closed her door before walking around to get inside.

Sarada rolled her window down to wave and thank her manager, and to wish her colleagues a good night. Boruto waved as well and held her hand before driving away.

"That look on her face was far too satisfying," Sarada laughed. "More than that steak was."

"So then you _did_ eat?" Boruto asked, wanting to be sure. "I could take you for a treat… if you want."

"I threw up and then ate again," Sarada sighed, remembering how sad she was to have wasted food. "But I ordered again." Her voice dropped. "It depends on the treat," she smirked. "I _always_ leave room for dessert."

" _Sarada,_ " Boruto faked a gasp. "I was only talking about ice cream. Not sexual stuff. You're naughty."

She laughed and held his hand to her cheek. "Having you _and_ ice cream sounds good."

Even if the day turned sour, it looked like she was going to have a sweet, sweet night.


	47. Nursery

Sarada was one of those people in Boruto's life that he just wanted to see happy and thriving, always. He wasn't the best guy, he was far from perfect, but he really and truly aimed to be a good man for her, to her. Making her day a little better and brighter, no matter what he needed to do to make it happen, was always something he worked towards.

She was his princess. And now, she was the mother of his child. His son. Of course he needed to spoil and pamper her a bit, that went doubly for the night after she dealt with a certain pop star whom she had no taste for. In all honesty, it amused him a bit, but at the same time, he didn't want her to have any insecurities. If that meant he needed to put said pop star in her place, Boruto would do it gladly.

Anything for Sarada. She was his, and that meant she deserved the world.

The morning after the dinner, Boruto woke Sarada up with many sweet kisses that easily brought her to life and ended with her being in a beautiful mood. Today, Inojin was supposed to come by to paint the nursery. Boruto had paid him for the job and had already purchased all the necessities. He and Sarada had just finished eating breakfast that they cooked together and were cleaning the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

"That must be him," Boruto said, setting the towel in his hand aside. "I'll get it."

When he answered the door, he didn't see just one pair of blue eyes, but two.

"Sup," Inojin grinned. And what was this? He was standing so close to his sister, close enough for their arms and fingers to brush.

Hell no was he holding her hand and getting Himawari pregnant.

"Excuse me? What is this?" Boruto glared at the other blond who just didn't seem to understand him at all.

"Excuse _me,_ Bro. I'd like to know as well… how you didn't ask me to come help, that is." Himawari huffed and pushed past Boruto to walk inside, Inojin right behind her.

Boruto slammed the door and followed them into the living room. "This is about work, not… _playtime._ I need Inojin focused today." The way he acted, if Himawari was around, he wouldn't get anything done. He'd probably half-ass the nursery and then Boruto would be even angrier.

"Don't you worry, Bro. Inojin and I will do a wonderful job. You just sit back and enjoy your day with Sarada-chan."

This wasn't good. And here Boruto has _thought_ that maybe he would get to know Inojin on a more personal level and maybe, somehow, possibly grow to understand and accept him. Since he'd come to realize that his sister was really taken with the guy, he knew he had to do _something._ However, he couldn't really do that if Himawari was around.

For the time being, Boruto decided against arguing with her or saying anything that was on his mind for that matter. While the pair went ahead upstairs together, Boruto sulked on his way over to the couch and laid down on it. Nothing was going as he planned these days, but that's just how life was. He laid on his back, pouting slightly as he glared at the ceiling.

Sarada sat next to him and placed a hand on his arm. "What's wrong, love?" Her smile was small, but comforting, genuinely wanting him to cheer up.

"He didn't come alone…" Boruto told her, pouting even more.

She leaned on his shoulder. "Did you want him to? Spending time with you sounds good."

Boruto sighed and moved his arm around her. "I was hoping he'd take this seriously… and maybe even want to get to know me. He just doesn't get it, I guess."

She hummed and nuzzled close. "I don't think he'll mess it up. Inojin is a potty mouth but he's a great artist. Besides, Hima is a good artist too, right?"

"I guess it will be fine… they'll be setting up for a while. What do you say we cuddle for a bit?"

The big grin on her face and her arms wrapping around his middle were the only answer he got. They cuddled on the couch for a few minutes before Sarada spoke up again. "Do you want me to get rid of Hima? I need to do the groceries anyway."

"What? What are you gonna do to her?" _Get rid of…_ "I don't want to take things too far."

"What?!" Sarada pulled away and looked at him as if he had grown another head. "Boruto, I just meant I would ask her to go grocery shopping with me. I didn't mean _that_."

"Oh." That made a lot more sense. Boruto nodded slowly and sat up, fussing with his hair. "Okay, as long as you'll be fine taking the car."

She pouted at that. "I hate driving, but fine. If you trust me with your," she held her hands up and made air quotes, " _baby_."

Boruto smiled softly and reached over to rub her tummy. "You take good care of him." He said, not even having a fleeting thought about the car.

Her hands fell to hold his and blinked once. Twice. A fond smile filled her face. "I meant your car, love."

"Oh…" his ears turned red and he averted his eyes. "I knew that."

Sarada's laughter filled the air. "Of course you did. You're still such an idiot." When he pouted at that, she kissed his cheek. " _My_ idiot."

That had him brightening right up, his blue eyes shone with pure adoration as he looked back to her, beaming. "Okay, I accept that." _Happily._ "No sense in denying half facts, I suppose."

" _Half_?" Her brows shot up and she shook her head, an amused smile on her face. "It's a good thing I love you, or else I would be saying something sassier."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" He asked as he leaned a little closer to her, unable to shake his smile by now.

Her own smile wouldn't go away, and she leaned back, but Boruto kept leaning into her. Sarada was laughing, back on the couch, and Boruto hovering over her body. "Just what am I supposed to do with you?" She whispered.

Boruto grinned slyly at the question. "You really want me to answer that?"

Sarada shook her head. "No. I want you to show me."

He didn't waste a single second before he closed the distance between them completely, sealing her lips in a soft, but passionate kiss. It was sweet and tantalizing enough to have him humming in delight against those beautifully plump lips. Soon, his fingers were curling in her hair and he tilted his head while his tongue slipped out in search of her own.

Once his tongue found hers, Sarada moaned, her hands roaming up his back, and ran them through his hair, pulling him closer to her. Her touch always set him off. He loved it so much that it made him become oblivious to everything else and he was soon hovering over her while teasing her tongue with his own.

Sarada's hand slipped to the back of his neck, pulling him even closer, her kisses growing more urgent.

"Eww!" An annoyed voice exclaimed, making the two look at who arrived, lips still connected. Inojin stuck his tongue out and held on to the lollipop stick. "Five rooms and you really want to do this on the couch? For fucking real?"

Boruto kissed Sarada again and teasingly dragged his tongue along her bottom lip before removing himself from her. "Our house, we do what we want, _where_ we want."

The blond gagged and then rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay, whatever. We made some swatches for the base. Come and pick unless you wanna get to that again and Hima and I will leave."

"First off, you don't tell my sister what to do." Boruto snapped and stood up from the couch. "We will come to take a look. I do hope I'm not going to regret giving you this job… I put a lot of faith in you, ya know." _And you trampled on it, like the prick that you are._

He smirked and held the lollipop back upon his mouth. "I think she likes it when I tell her what to do." Inojin stuck his tongue out to lick the lollipop before popping it in his mouth and laughed at how pale Boruto went. "Don't ya worry. I take my art seriously. Sarada would back me up on it."

Sarada rose from the couch and huffed, not happy she was dragged into their catfight. "Inojin, stop being so rude and get back up there."

He pouted at her and sighed dramatically. "Ouch, boss. And here I thought you liked my work."

Sarada pushed him up the stairs. "Stop talking if you want to get out of this house alive."

Boruto followed them up the stairs, hating how Inojin could ruin his mood so easily. Twice already in a single morning. At least Sarada was on his side, it seemed. When they entered the nursery, Himawari was busy doing nothing but rocking in the rocking chair and the bastard had the audacity to _coo_ at her. Who did that? This guy…

"Where's the damn paint?" Boruto asked gruffly, already over this entire situation. He would not make this mistake again.

Inojin rolled his eyes and pointed at the wall to his side, there were three swatches of blue paint. One light, and dark. The swatch in the middle was something in between, and on top of it there were some cloud sketches in pencil. "Just swatches for now, and some cloud concepts."

"I made the fluffy one!" Himawari grinned. She pulled out a lollipop from her pocket and unwrapped it. "If you don't want cartoon looking clouds, we thought we could paint realistic looking ones, too."

Inojin nodded proudly. "Like the Sistine Chapel."

"I like the middle one…" Boruto said before looking to Sarada. "What do you think? I kind of like the cartoonish concept." He didn't trust Inojin to go above and beyond, hell, he didn't trust him. P _eriod._

She held his hand and hummed. "I like that, too." Sarada threw a cheeky smile at Inojin. "Let's go cartoon because it'll probably take Inojin four years if he made the realistic-looking ones."

"Or a lifetime," Boruto grumbled. "I don't have the time or patience for that."

It looked like Inojin was going to retort, but Himawari dropped her lollipop on the floor and screamed. He looked her way and picked it up. "Don't worry, I have another."

"But you said that was your last," she whined. "You'll run out before we even get the base done."

He grinned, a kind that Boruto never saw on him. "It's okay. You can have it." Inojin pulled a grape-flavored lollipop out of his pocket and held it up.

"That's your favorite," she mumbled.

"Then best I give it to my other favorite, right?" Inojin started unwrapping it carefully and handed it to her, still smiling.

Himawari's eyes lit up, practically sparkling from happiness. "Thank you!"

"So sweeeet!" Sarada cooed.

Inojin froze and turned around. "Shit, why are you still here?" His usual pale complexion turned beet red.

Sarada laughed and pulled Boruto out of the nursery. "Right, right. We'll leave."

In the hallway, Boruto stared at the opposing wall, a goofy and questionable grin on his face. "It all makes sense now." He mused, blue eyes flicking over to Sarada with the cheekiest look on his face. "He's such a… _pretender."_

The way Inojin reacted to being caught slipping really struck home with Boruto. It was all too relatable. Not that he would ever admit that, but he did find it funny. Had he not seen it, he probably would have never known. Inojin was certainly a character, but if he truly liked Himawari and treated her like the princess she was, Boruto would have no complaints.

Eventually Sarada did take Himawari along to shop for groceries and stock up the house. This left Boruto and Inojin alone, the two of them working together in the nursery for a long time in complete silence. Inojin seemed to be into his work and Boruto was admittingly impressed by his skills, even if he had seen much of Inojin's work before. It was much different seeing him work with such a big canvas—a whole room at his disposal. The base coat had taken the two of them a fair amount of time. Once Inojin started working on the actual designs of the clouds, Boruto was left to just watch.

For a while, Boruto debated whether he wanted to actually have a conversation with the guy or not. He was torn over it, but ultimately came to the decision to talk. Not for himself, but for Himawari. He started with a compliment because that was easy. Inojin really was good and he knew it. Instead of thanking Boruto, he smirked at him and made a comment of how he'd been doing this since he could hold a crayon. That had Boruto rolling his eyes, but a soft chuckle escaped him too. The conversation just spiraled from there.

They learned a lot more about each other and even though Boruto still thought Inojin was a brat with a potty mouth and a bad attitude, he came to realize that maybe he could actually like the guy. Besides, as long as Himawari was happy, they should be happy too.

The girls returned after nearly two hours and the guys took a break to help them carry everything inside and put it away. They made jokes about how much food was bought, no doubt due to Sarada's cravings and Boruto teased her about keeping his baby safe on the road.

He wasn't talking about the car.

More painting was done, Boruto and Himawari taking turns helping Inojin while one of them kept Sarada company. The paint wasn't good for her to be breathing in, so they avoided the room most of the time, though she did wander in to peek a few times.

That night, by the time they'd finally finished, Himawari bounced into the room to tell the guys the pizza had arrived. Boruto was covered in paint, which annoyed him considering Inojin didn't have a speck on him. It wasn't natural. Thankfully though, Boruto was dry enough not to have to worry about getting the paint on anything else. The four of them gathered in the living room, sitting around to enjoy the pizza together and talk about the outcome of the nursery. This talk wound up spawning a new topic.

"We haven't been discussing the wedding much," Himawari mentioned and Boruto swallowed his mouthful as he looked at her. "I've been working on a guest list and some themes to present to Sarada-chan, but I think you should choose your date."

Boruto's attention turned to Sarada immediately after that. "Sarada?" He prompted because he really had no idea. He was ready to marry her tomorrow—or yesterday. The sooner, the better.

Sarada put her cup down and thought about it a while before finally saying, "Maybe after I give birth. I wouldn't want for my pregnancy to get in the way of anything for it."

"What? _Get in the way?_ Saradaaaaa… you're making me wait that long?" Boruto whined and groaned like the big baby that he is. "Just think of how beautiful you'll be in a wedding dress, showing off little Ita-kun."

She pouted at that and lifted her hand for him to see her ring. "You already know I will, Boruto. Just wait a little longer. Besides, imagine how cute Ita-kun would look in a baby tux, being carried down the aisle."

Boruto's eyes sparkled at that. It was the cutest thing he'd ever imagined. "Okay fine." He grinned. "But what about the honeymoon?"

"After Ita-kun is done breastfeeding," She said it so calmly, firmly. As if she had already thought it through.

Having already read many pregnancy and first-time parent books, Boruto knew this wedding and honeymoon wasn't going to happen any time soon. It would take time, time that would more than likely fly by them. He found he really didn't mind waiting until the perfect time. It wouldn't be changing much anyway.

"So, there's no rush. Over a year from now—closer to two. Let's not stress wedding preparations and plans any time soon then." He smiled as he admired Sarada for everything she was. "Just know that when the time does come, I'm going all out."

She hummed and gave him a smile. "I don't doubt it one bit."

"No!" Himawari screeched after a few seconds of silence, pointing an angry finger at her brother. "No, no, _no!"_

"What?" Boruto scoffed, wiping his hands on a napkin before leaving it atop one of the empty pizza boxes and leaning back. "No what?"

"You can't just drop it! I can't believe you two are going to wait _that_ long! Even still, we should still make plans. Especially since you are going all out. Some venues need to be booked over a year in advance anyway. Don't you want somewhere really special?"

"I don't care as long as I get to marry Sarada," Boruto said simply.

Himawari didn't look pleased one bit, but before she could have an outburst, Inojin spoke up. "It's true, you know. Weddings take over a year to plan. It's best to start."

"Whatever. You can all plan whatever, I'll pay for it. Except… leave the honeymoon to me. I already have some ideas."

"I need a theme!" Himawari cried. "A color scheme, what kind of vibe you're going for."

"Hmm…" Boruto thought it over for a moment, fingertips lazily running up and down Sarada's back. "Pink is good… or red… red is definitely Sarada's color."

Sarada giggled. "I like that. Pink, red and white. Let's have it in the Spring. I've always wanted a garden wedding."

"You want a garden?" Boruto asked, picking that out of everything else she said. If she wanted it, she would get it.

While she chewed on her food, she nodded. "Something like a garden or a glasshouse looking thing." Sarada looked shyly at Himawari. "Sorry, I haven't really been looking into it so much. But I did see some photos of it online. Just not sure where it would be."

"I've got it all figured out now. Everybody just calm down and let me handle this." Boruto said with a smirk. He would be able to give Sarada everything she wanted.

.

.

.

The next day, while Sarada was at work, Boruto was with Mitsuki. He was just hanging around to make sure his friend wasn't slacking off too much, considering he had ended up making Sumire his girlfriend and was a little caught up. Boruto could understand and he would back off once things were more settled for their projects. For now, Mitsuki needed to be working—and he needed to be figuring out how to get the perfect garden.

Boruto called around, speaking with several different landscaping companies before one managed to impress him both in sample pictures and how easily they pitched themselves. He excused himself when they announced someone could meet him as soon as possible to survey his land and get an idea of what he wanted.

Mitsuki seemed a little too pleased by Boruto telling him he was leaving for the day, but the blond paid it no mind, too busy thinking about how happy Sarada would be to get the garden she wanted. Their back yard was spacious and open, leaving them plenty of room to play with. The landscaper who came to him had been doing gardening for more than twenty years and he made many suggestions, talking it out with Boruto in a way to make it easy to visualize the garden to be.

"Rose bushes are very nice too, very pretty when they're in bloom. Are there any colors you're looking for specifically?"

Boruto remembered Sarada's chosen three, colors that he agreed upon happily. "Red, pink and white. My fiancée and I are going to get married here… so it will look a lot different after we get finished with it." There were more things he wanted in his back yard as well, but he wasn't in _too_ much of a rush.

The work on the garden began the next day. Boruto was beyond elated when the landscaper returned with a whole crew and brought another man along who specialized in creating beautiful arches. Boruto was pulled in by the many designs he was shown and surprisingly didn't take long to make a decision for what he wanted. With all the help, things were going smoothly and by the end of the day, Boruto was standing under the completed arch that was waiting to be covered in flowers. A lot had been done, but it would take time for things to be completed and the garden itself would need to be tended to regularly.

So much had happened in the day, that time really slipped by him and it was time to get Sarada from work before he knew it. He didn't even have time to shower and he was a little dirty from being with everyone else in the garden all day. He hoped Sarada wouldn't notice, but the instant he walked into her office, she cocked a brow at him.

"Did you roll around the garden while I was gone?" Sarada snickered and rubbed some dirt off his cheek. "Or should I expect to come home to a puppy?" She laughed and pulled out a wet wipe to get rid of more mud from his face.

"You want a puppy?" Boruto asked, getting sidetracked easily.

"Okay, so it's _not_ a puppy," Sarada ignored his question and rubbed her chin. "Then what _have_ you been doing?"

"It's a surprise!" Boruto told her, excitement showing both in his eyes and his big grin. "I'll show you as soon as we're home."

Sarada only shook her head at him while he collected her things and then they got on their way. Boruto was all but bouncing in his seat the whole ride home. He couldn't wait to see what Sarada thought about her surprise. After they made it home, he covered her eyes with his hands and ushered her around their home to the back lawn, stopping at a good place to take the garden in as a whole.

"Now just know, it's not nearly finished yet. When you look at it, look at it for what it _will_ be and not what it is now." He said softly, still covering her eyes while waiting for her agreement.

Sarada placed her hands over his and nodded. "Should I be worried? Or scared? I feel anxious." Although the thoughts she voiced were negative, the curve on her lips said otherwise.

Boruto laughed lightly and slowly lowered his hands so that she could take it all in. His hands settled on her hips instead as he stood just behind her, awaiting her reaction.

Her hands dropped to her mouth, eyes widening at the beautiful arch before her. There were a few pots left out, that she guessed were for flowers. The sun was about to set, casting a warm glow over their yard. It was still bare, but to imagine it full of flowers took her breath away. "It's beautiful."

"You really like it?" Boruto asked excitedly, sliding his hands around from her hips to her tummy. "It's going to be everything you imagine, I promise."

Sarada turned her head around to face him and leaned back, one hand coming up to cup his face. "You're more than enough for me. You know that, right?"

"I know." He smiled softly and then leaned his forehead against hers. "That only makes me want to spoil you more."

A soft smile formed on her lips and she pulled his face a little closer to give him a chaste kiss. When they pulled away, she chuckled lightly. "Careful now. If you keep on spoiling me, I might find it annoying."

"Oh, I hope you do."


	48. Clear The Air

After getting her now limited to one cup a day coffee, Sarada went to the pantry to put her lunch in the fridge, and that's when she saw Denki and Wasabi talking, and having breakfast. She greeted them cheerfully and they both immediately stopped talking, looking awkward, rather than happy to see her.

Sensing the tension, she smiled and asked casually, "What's up?"

Denki laughed nervously and took a sip of his coffee. Wasabi tried looking away but Sarada took the seat next to her and put her tumbler down. And waited. Wasabi wouldn't look her way, but Denki was easier to break so she turned her gaze towards him.

He looked at her nervously, sweat beading on his brow. She felt a little bad to exploit his nature this way, but she had a feeling they were talking about her and she wanted to know what it was this time. Taking a sip of her coffee, her lips curved up as she watched him, knowing he would break any minute.

Denki bit his lower lip to stop it from quaking, but he broke. "It's your wedding date!" He burst. "People are talking about how late the date will be!"

Slowly, Sarada sat up and placed her tumbler down. "And what's the big deal if it is?"

People really needed to start minding their own business. Gossip was normal, and it was her own naiveness that made her believe for a second that once Boruto left, people would shut up. But in truth, it just made things worse. Even the Lily incident made rounds for a week, even at their factory, people heard and talked about it.

The poor boy was still shaking. "S-someone commented that it means Boruto doesn't really want to marry you."

Now _that_ made her mad. Boruto doesn't want to marry her? What a load of bullshit.

Her brow lifted and she struggled to keep her voice even. "That's a lie," she growled. "How could anyone even come up with something that ridiculous?"

Wasabi now looked at Sarada and inched away. "Usually, when people have an… unplanned pregnancy, they get married right away. For… legal purposes and whatnot."

Unplanned. Usually families would want them to get married to secure their daughter and baby. But Sarada didn't need any legalities to know that Boruto would stay with her. The office people really needed to shut up. It didn't sit well with her that they were dragging her fiance's reputation in the mud.

"I don't need a piece of paper to be assured Boruto won't leave me, or our son," she replied evenly. "He's not like that." It was a cold kind of fury that overtook her. "Who said that?"

"Well, it wasn't really said that way…" Denki turned away, feeling so nervous and it showed.

"Inojin was just telling us about how it went when he painted the nursery, you know? It was all in passing." Wasabi waved her hands up to placate her.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me. I asked, _who_ said that about my fiancée?"

Wasabi turned her face away and held her breath. Denki shut his eyes and bit his lower lip. Sarada's calm exterior wasn't fooling anyone. She was angry, and this time, it was personal.

Denki opened one eye to look at her and jumped to find her looking intently at him. Despite doing his best to resist, he cracked under her glare. "K-Kagura said it."

 _Kagura_.

Perhaps he wasn't as prince-like as he showed. She still wasn't over him kissing her hand at the engagement party, and neither was Boruto. The gift he got for their "baby" didn't sit well with her, either.

A pink robe. For her size. Who _does_ that?

Sarada rose from her seat, gave them a tight smile, picked up her coffee, and walked back to her office. She stopped by Inojin's desk and asked him what happened and who were the people present when he was telling them about the previous weekend.

He claimed it was nothing too serious, but Kagura was there and made a comment. "Something about Boruto not being too serious if he was delaying." He shrugged. "Does it really matter, though? I think he made it clear he wanted to marry you."

"I know he does," Sarada replied. "But I think it isn't clear to everyone."

Inojin raised a brow. "Wow, are these rumors finally getting to you?"

"No." Yes it was. Boruto wasn't here to defend himself and it was a low blow to say things about him, even when he was no longer connected to the company. "I just want people to know that it's _my_ choice to delay, in favor of _our_ baby's wellbeing."

He shrunk into his chair. "I… didn't say anything like that, okay?"

She only gave him a look and started walking towards the Sales department. Once she left, Inojin got on his laptop to warn people about her.

Kagura wasn't at his desk, but his laptop was, a fresh cup of coffee there. Instead of waiting for him, she left a note on his keyboard, telling him to come to her office.

She needed to calm down, even just a bit. From experience, her temper always got the best of her and having another thing for people to talk about wasn't what she wanted. This talk was to clear the air and to put Kagura in his place. Perhaps she really should have done this sooner. In a way, Sarada felt responsible for leading him on. But even if… she was living with, engaged to, and pregnant with Boruto's baby. What more did he need to back off?

Trying to busy herself, she opened up her laptop and tried to work. But negative thoughts kept invading her again. She needed to stop and get a breather, before Kagura got to her office. Thinking of needing something positive made her pick up her phone and text Boruto.

 **Sarada:** what are you up to?

It was such a random text. One that should be normal but she almost never checked up on Boruto when they were both working. Sarada hoped she wasn't bothering.

 **Boruto:** I'm not up to anything… why do you think I am?

An unusual text called for an unusual response, right?

 **Sarada:** I need a distraction. If you were still my boss I would barge into your office. Lol.

 **Boruto:** Sometimes I wish I still was your boss. Quick question, you've watched Lady and the Tramp, right? Which do you like best, Lady or Tramp?

It was weird, but she did ask for a distraction.

 **Sarada:** I have. Hmm… I like both of them, but leaning towards Lady because she was such a sweetie to her owners.

 **Boruto:** She was my pick too. She was a cute pup, don't you think? Do you like cute dogs?

 **Sarada:** I do! Lapdogs are cute, but so are big dogs. Such big babies!

 **Boruto:** Especially the ones with the long hair!...?

 **Sarada:** Yes! And so playful and friendly. Some breeds are also good for families.

 **Boruto:** Well that's a must. I'm glad we're in agreement.

The conversation was distracting her well, but it only made her miss him.

 **Sarada:** Can you send me a voice mail?

It was only a few seconds later before the recorded message came through and she played it. _"Hey, Princess. I love you."_

She played it three times and listened closely before sighing. Sarada held her phone up to her mouth and recorded, "I love you too, Boruto."

Before she even finished, Kagura walked in, hearing what she had recorded.

He smiled brightly at her and closed the door behind him, taking a seat in front of her desk. "Good morning. I got your note."

Sarada put her phone down and ignored Boruto's next voice mail. She looked at Kagura's eyes, wondering where should she even begin. Lashing out right away wasn't a good option. She could ask for his side of the story, or perhaps go right for the throat and ask what his problem was.

"Kagura, we're friends, aren't we?"

"Yes, of course. Why do you even have to ask?"

Sarada swallowed. "Because I want to be honest with you, and I expect the same from you."

He blinked, and his smile faltered. "I'm always honest with you, Sarada."

She hummed. "Thank you, but I'm afraid I wasn't as honest with you in the past. Whatever happened and didn't happen, I'm sorry."

"I don't understand, what are you apologizing for?"

Sarada grimaced. Kagura wasn't stupid, and him asking was just irritating her more. "You've never said anything, which is why I never did as well. But I'm engaged and I don't appreciate your advances on me. It disrespects Boruto and it isn't fair for you, too."

Kagura went quiet. "I'm sorry, I never meant for that. I was just looking out for you."

"I appreciate it, but I don't need it." Her smile was tight, shoulders tense. "I've heard something go around, too. About my wedding plans. What was it that you said? I would rather hear it from you."

There were already two people who told her a gist of what he said. Both of which were present when Kagura said it. She hoped that he wouldn't lie.

"I said it was a shame to have to wait, if it were me, I would have married you by now," he laughed it off, but Sarada didn't find it funny one bit. He must have sensed it, as he cleared his throat and clarified, "I only meant to say that for the baby, being married before he was born would be easier for his legal documents. I'm just speaking from experience." Kagura shrugged and offered her a small smile. "I'm sorry that I offended you and Boruto. I'm just… sad that he got to you first."

Silence washed over her, and for a while, the only thing she could hear was her own heart beating. Perhaps she should have felt some remorse for Kagura, but she didn't. They had known each other long before she met Boruto. If he really liked her, he would have done so sooner.

The quiet was disrupted by her phone. It rang and displayed a photo of Boruto, smiling that smile that he only gave to her. Sarada licked her lips and looked at Kagura. "Would you please excuse me? I need to take this."

Kagura rose from his chair and nodded before leaving her office. Once her door clicked, she answered her phone.

"Hello?" Her voice was a little too shaky for her liking.

" _Hey, I'm in town now. What would you like for lunch?"_

She didn't really feel like eating, but knowing how much of a fuss he would make if she said so, Sadara said the first thing that came to mind. "A salad and steak."

" _Whoa, my princess is hungry today. Okay, I got it… is everything okay? You sound a little… frustrated."_

"I'm fine." She bit her tongue the moment the words left her mouth. "Just work things." It was better if she told him later. If he was driving, she didn't want him to get worked up and speed his way over.

" _Well… I'll be there soon, okay? With food!"_

"Okay. Drive safe."

" _I will. Always. I love you…"_

"I love you, too."

Sarada ended the call and sighed. The emails were piling up, and she needed to secure the details for Chocho's promotion, a raise for Inojin, to pull through with the intern request and then hire someone to take Chocho's place. It would be a busy day, and so she picked up her notebook and walked over to Konohamaru's room to discuss.

.

.

.

Sarada and Konohamaru spoke all throughout the morning, she wanted what was best for the team and she made sure she got it all for them. A well-compensated bunch was always more productive that way. They both talked over Chocho and Inojin's package, as well as what she wanted in an intern and new Social Media Manager.

It wasn't long until she heard a loud and familiar voice outside. Forgetting her manners, she left Konohamaru and peeked outside to find Shikadai and Boruto laughing together.

She missed this. Seeing him in the office, just like old times. Come to think of it, it was only a few months ago but it felt like a lifetime. They used to hate each other and argue all the time. Now they just kept telling each other mushy things. It was weird, and certainly if she told her younger self this, that Sarada wouldn't believe her. Things were different now, but she liked it and couldn't imagine where she would be without him in her life anymore.

"Boruto," she called him and smiled.

He brightened noticeably at the sound of her calling his name, slapping Shikadai on the shoulder as he told him a quick goodbye before shuffling over to her with her food in hand. "Hey there. Been thinking about you all morning." He teased, brows wiggling as he backed her up into her office.

Sarada laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, coming to her tiptoes to give him a kiss. This was nice, her earlier bad mood evaporating. "Don't you have anything better to do than stay in my head all morning?"

"Ooh, that's cheesy for you… I love it." He laughed too and gave her another kiss. "You can tell me more later. I can't stay long today, so let's get you eating."

She must have looked hurt because Boruto immediately gave her a hug. "Why? Are you seeing Mitsuki today?"

"Well… not exactly. I'm seeing someone else."

Her blood ran cold. " _What?_ " And to think she just defended him so valiantly a few hours ago. "Who?"

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down!" Boruto huffed as he ushered her back to her desk and forced her to take a seat. "It's business… kinda."

She pouted and waited for him to talk more, crossing her arms across her chest. "So it's a _boy_ , then?" He said he wasn't gay… but preferences can change, right?

"Oh… no. Actually, it's a girl and she's waiting on me…"

"A girl?" Like earlier, she struggled to keep her voice even. This day was trying her. "Younger?" This whole conversation felt _so_ familiar.

"Definitely." He confirmed with an amused tone.

Her frown deepened. "Then get to it, then!" She stuck her nose up in the air and took a violent bite of the bread roll that came with her steak. Being angry was apparently making her hungry.

Boruto ignored her outburst and watched her for a moment before he spoke again. "Bumped into the bastard in the hallway. He's so weird, apologizing to me out of nowhere. Guess he should though… nobody likes him."

"Who?" She asked, with her mouth full.

"The hand kisser." He huffed, refusing to say his name.

"Oh." She swallowed. Best time to tell him, then. "He apologized because I confronted him this morning. I spoke to some people and a rumor started. He thinks you don't really want to marry me because _I'm_ delaying." Sarada could feel her anger bubble up again. But damn, this salad was good. She took another bite. "I got mad and told them off."

"So you're saying _he_ had something to do with the rumor?" Boruto asked casually, tone giving away nothing.

She nodded and took another bite, not really paying attention because this steak went well with the salad. "He told me if he were you, he would have married me already. Oh, and something about it's easier for Ita-kun, legal wise, if we were already married before he was born."

"Excuse me?" Boruto scoffed, voice quiet and incredulous. He gaped at her in complete disbelief.

"I know," she sighed loudly and got up from her desk, leaving her food. "I got really mad when people told me. I cleared it up though. And besides, I know you've been wanting to marry me since the day you murdered my coffee." She grinned cheekily.

"Exactly!" Boruto snapped, not bothering to tone down his anger. "Just who the hell does this guy think he is?"

Sarada wrapped her arms around his middle and laughed. "Boruto," she looked up at him and smiled. "You've been in love with me since day one? Really?" Her smile grew to a grin so wide her eyes shut.

"Yes. I mean, what—no!" He groaned and hugged her tight, dropping his head against hers. "Okay fine. Yes."

Her hold on him tightened and she rubbed his back soothingly. "Nice to have you admit it." Sarada inhaled through her nose and relished having his scent fill her senses. "You don't have to worry about Kagura anymore, love. I put him in his place, and it's clear it isn't by my side."

"He's crossed too many lines with me. I'm over his shit. I think it's time I really put him in his place myself." Boruto sighed and moved his head to place a soft, lingering kiss to her temple. "I really should be going. You finish your lunch, okay?"

Sarada didn't want him to go but nodded anyway. "Okay."

"I'll see you in just a few hours okay?" Boruto offered her a smile and kissed her lips fully before releasing her to take a step towards the door. "And I'll have a surprise for you by then."

 _Another_ surprise. "Okay, then." She pulled him for another kiss before letting him go.

.

.

.

Finishing up her work, Boruto bounced into her office at exactly half-past six. His blue eyes were bright with excitement, and it was contagious. Sarada adored that happy look on his face, and sooner rather than later, she was grinning from ear to ear, too.

"What are you so excited about?" She asked. "What did you get me this time?"

"You'll see when we get to the car." He said with a grin as big as hers, already helping her gather her things.

This relieved her. If it fits in the car, it meant it _wasn't_ a car. Boruto no longer driving her around was the last thing she wanted. "Okay, okay."

They both packed up her things and walked hand in hand to the elevator. Sarada was glad this day was almost over, and Kagura didn't show himself to her anymore. Neither did Denki. Sarada made a mental note to apologize for terrorizing him tomorrow.

Sarada leaned on Boruto's shoulder and inhaled. She noticed something was off with his scent. His usual smell was there but it was also… powdery and something else. Sticking her nose to his shoulder, her brows furrowed. "You smell different."

"Do I? Damn that pregnant nose of yours. Do I stink? What do I smell like?" He was a little worried about the way she was sniffing him.

"Like… powder and something else." Sarada kept sniffing his shoulder and moved on to his chest. Taking a deep breath, her mind went wild with what he really smelled like… it wasn't as familiar as something she would smell every day. But she was sure she had smelled it before. "Where were you earlier? Who did you meet up with?"

"I've been to a lot of places!" He huffed and pulled himself away from her, ready to get going. He couldn't wait to show her, and keeping himself in check was proving to be extremely difficult.

"Why won't you tell me?" She frowned. It wasn't like her to keep tabs on him, but it also wasn't like him to keep secrets.

"Because I'd rather just show you."

Sarada harrumphed and kept a few steps away from him as they walked. Why was today trying her patience? It kept her on a rollercoaster of highs and lows and her pregnancy hormones weren't helping.

They reached his car and Sarada walked over to the passenger seat and opened the door. A high pitched yelp greeted her and she stumbled back. A cute little golden puppy was sitting there, looking at her with a happy face and a wagging tail. A large pink bow was around the puppy's neck, too.

"Oh my god!" Sarada covered her mouth and watched the little puppy circle around the passenger's seat, wanting to come down or be picked up. She looked at Boruto and asked, "You got us a dog?"

"Of course I did. Don't you love her? She's been keeping me busy almost all day now." He chuckled.

Sarada cooed and picked the puppy up. "It's a her." She thought she might just cry. Bringing the puppy closer to her face, she recognized the powdery smell on Boruto. "She's so cute. What's her name?" She didn't even give him a chance to answer. "Can we name her Cookie?"

"Oh my god! I was thinking Cookie too!" Boruto gasped.

Sarada squealed and rubbed her cheek on Cookie's head. "Cookie! Such a good girl." The little puppy kept licking her cheek, making Sarada coo and giggle. "I love her."

"Me too." Boruto smiled. "I knew she was the one."

Sarada walked over to Boruto to kiss his cheek. He always made her so happy and did so much for her. It made her want to do the same for him, but even just the small things, like her kissing his cheek already made him happy. "I love your surprise. Thank you. I love you."

"You're welcome. I love you too, ya know. I gave her her own room for now… until we need it for the kids." He snickered, giving her a few chaste kisses.

"Her own room?" Sarada laughed. He really was too extra. "Are you looking for an excuse to give away uncle Shisui's room?"

"It's not like he can't share with Cookie." Boruto scoffed.

Sarada shook her head and hopped in the car. She was fine with that if it meant keeping Cookie. Once the car started, she stayed still on Sarada's lap, seemingly afraid of the motion. But when Sarada let her up to look out the window, her tail wagged and seemed so much calmer. Both of her hands were full, so Boruto left a hand on her thigh instead as he drove them home.

As soon as they got inside the house, Sarada let Cookie down and the little puppy went wild, running around the house and slipping on the floorboards. She sniffed everything and kept looking back at the two of them, making sure they were still there before exploring the first floor again. When she wandered into the kitchen, she slipped on the marble floors a few times and learned not to run too fast.

Sarada kept following her around, making sure Cookie wouldn't hurt herself. She was beside herself with glee, taking pictures of Cookie and sending it to her parents.

 **Sakura:** She's so cute!

 **Sasuke:** Good training for your baby.

 **Sakura:** Taking care of the baby is harder!

 **Sasuke:** That depends.

Sarada laughed and put her phone away when she felt Boruto wrap his arms around her and rest his chin on her shoulder. She leaned her head on his and cupped his cheek. They stood in the middle of the kitchen for a few moments like this, and Cookie came back from the living room to go and see them. She nibbled Sarada's slipper and ran around them.

As much as she didn't want Boruto to let go of her, their little puppy wanted to be held, so she bent down and picked her up. Boruto was quick to wrap her back up in his arms, making it so that Cookie was snuggled between them. He tenderly ran his fingers through her hair, smiling _that_ smile, her smile.

"I think our family is pretty close to perfect, Princess. Everything will be complete when Ita-kun finally arrives… for a while anyway."


	49. Challenge Accepted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains explicit sexual content

Cookie was a brilliant addition to the family. Boruto was pleased with himself, knowing he'd made a good choice and brought a smile to Sarada's face that was almost constant. Boruto had his hands full, potty training, and keeping up with the pup while Sarada worked. Taking Cookie along with him wasn't a big deal, Mitsuki didn't care and in fact had taken quite a liking to her, though Boruto refused to let him get too distracted.

It was crazy, but she seemed to have grown noticeably even in the first week of them having her. She had a lot of energy and loved to play, but she also took several naps every day. She kept them so busy and needed a lot of attention, so Boruto could only imagine how it would be to have his son at home. He couldn't wait to meet him, to hold him and spoil him. Ita-kun would be beautiful and loved beyond belief. He was being born into a large and tight-knit family on both sides. He'd already heard his parents going on about how excited they were to babysit.

The nursery was finally completed and it looked amazing. So perfect for their son. Inojin had done an outstanding job, leaving Boruto proud and pleased. Soon, the smell of paint faded and Boruto gave a deep cleaning to the room. It was on a day that Sarada was feeling more tired than usual and she napped on and off most of the day. It was early evening when she wandered into the nursery and found Boruto with a notebook and pen—and a diaper bag that Sarada had yet to see. It was a pale blue with fluffy white clouds scattered all over it, and it had Ita-kun monogrammed on the front.

He was focused on his list, and an opened book that rested on his lap, so much that he didn't notice Sarada standing in the doorway. He started mumbling things off the list, double-checking that he had everything. Blankets, clothes, cute little hat, a pacifier.

"Fuck!" He screeched, searching the items around him frantically. Boruto rechecked the book and his list and then everything he had.

He didn't have a pacifier.

"Oh nooooo!" He thought he was prepared, but he wasn't. If he was missing something as simple as that, _what else was he missing?_

"What's going on?" Sarada walked towards him and looked at the bag, before looking at him. "What happened?"

" _What happened?"_ Boruto breathed, looking up at her with a look of pure loss. Then he yelled, "I forgot to buy pacifiers!"

She took a step back and blinked at him, studying his horrified expression. "It's okay, love. you have over twenty weeks to buy it."

"Do you realize how fast the days are flying? Twenty weeks is nothing! I'm very upset right now." He stuck his bottom lip out, pouting deeply.

Sarada tried her best not to laugh, so she gave his shoulder a kiss instead. "We can go tomorrow. And maybe pass by the park and let Cookie play. How's that sound?"

His pout lessened. "Okay… that sounds good. I have everything else at least, so I can get this packed up." He looked to her with a small smile and then started loading everything that he hadn't yet into the diaper bag.

Sarada grinned at him and gave him a hug. "Always so well prepared." Leaning her head on his shoulder, she snuggled closer and sighed. "You take such good care of us, but don't forget to take care of yourself too, okay?"

Pausing in the midst of his work, Boruto slid his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. His face nuzzled the crook of her neck. "But you take care of me…"

"I try," she sighed. "You're always out doing me, though."

"You're dirty," Boruto mused in a whisper, grinning at her neck.

She laughed and stroked his hair. "Not what I meant but you do that, too."

He snickered and held her a little tighter. "You can't really blame me… what with you begging for it all the time."

" _Begging?"_ Sarada scoffed. "I could last much longer without it compared to you."

"Is that a challenge?" Boruto asked, lifting his head to look at her, blue eyes gleaming darkly.

Sarada smirked. "For _you_ it will be."

"Ha! We'll see just who it is that can't go without it, you little thirsty girl."

An unlady-like snort came from her and she pushed him away from her. "You wish. You can't even keep your hands off me." She then gave him a sly smile. "Or stop looking."

"Who the hell said I have to stop looking? And I can touch… just, I'm not gonna have sex with you. Like, at all. Until you beg. A lot."

Sarada's eyes darkened and she peeked up at him through her long lashes, leaning in ever so close to his face. "Maybe… just a kiss?"

"Not a chance." Boruto laughed, turning his head to face away from her. "Unless you're ready to beg now?"

She hummed and ghosted her lips over his, her breath making his lips tingle, before abruptly pulling away. "Never. You'll be begging before the day is through."

"Nope. I'm not losing this one, Princess. You'll see." He shifted her off of him so he could get to his feet. "Actually, I have something I want to watch, so I'll leave you to your not begging."

"I'm not begging," she declared boldly. "I'll leave you to that. I think I'll go for a shower, though."

Boruto knew what she was trying to do and it was totally not working. "Sounds good, hope you enjoy yourself."

Her fingers came up to her lips to give it a quick lick as her dark eyes dropped to his lips. "You bet I will. Too bad you won't be joining."

"No worries. I'll shower later." He smiled and walked towards the door. "We'll just finish up in here tomorrow. I'll be in the living room."

Boruto came across Cookie on his way downstairs and ended up scooping her up to make sure he didn't step on her or trip over her. She had a thing for feet and trying to play with them. As he wandered into the living room, he held her curled again his chest with one arm while petting her with his other hand.

"Me and you are gonna watch some thriller, Cookie."

The little puppy only snuggled up closer to his chest, before getting bored with sitting still and was now straining to lick his chin. Boruto laughed and sat on the couch, letting her down to his lap instead. She was excited, tail wagging as she hopped up and stood on his lap, pawing at his chest.

"What are you saying? No TV?" Boruto sulked playfully and scratched her under her neck while reaching for the remote. When he started rubbing her tummy, she plopped down instantly, rolling onto her back. Boruto smiled, glad to have her settling down so he could watch the new thriller that had just gotten on Ninflix.

The movie was as interesting as he hoped, pulling him in right away, leaving him curious and anticipating. Cookie fell asleep before too long and Boruto watched the movie in silence, trying to think up scenarios in his head for what was happening. The longer the movie played, the more intense it became. He would have been on the edge of the couch had it not been for Cookie sleeping on his lap and just at the height of an unnerving scene when the main character was about to do the most idiotic thing he'd ever seen and more than likely get themself killed—Sarada screamed.

His heart jumped out of his chest and he nearly threw Cookie off of him. "Whoa, _shit."_ He breathed, setting Cookie aside to get up and bolt for the stairs, ignoring his painfully pounding heart. Anything could have happened, but when he went sliding into their bedroom, he found her standing inside the closet by the shelf with his shirts on it. His long-sleeved shirts were at the top, put away until winter and they were out of her reach.

This would have amused him had it not been for the fact that she was in nothing but her panties, not even a bra. She was on the tips of her toes, stretched beautifully, and for a moment, Boruto had to pray. When he collected himself and felt he could trust himself, he walked over to her and purposely pressed up against her back as he reached over her for a shirt. The one he grabbed was black and pink, two of his favorites. He definitely didn't try to let her notice the bulge in his pants. Not even a little.

He heard a sharp intake of breath from her, but she only muttered her thanks when Boruto handed her the shirt.

She was taking a little too long, so Boruto took the shirt right back and pulled it down over her head. "You must be cold." He mumbled and held the shirt while she pushed her arms through. "You scared the shit outta me, ya know."

For some reason, she wouldn't look at him. Her skin was still damp, and her long dark hair stuck to her shoulders. Her cheeks had a fresh glow, probably from the shower but most likely something else, too. "I did?"

Once the shirt was on her properly, Boruto grabbed the towel she'd tossed aside and started drying her hair a little more. "Yeah, I was watching a new thriller and you couldn't have screamed at a better time. I think I may have had a small heart attack."

"Oh," she grinned and her eyes disappeared for a while as he continued to dry her hair. "Is _that_ what got you so excited?"

Boruto rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh. "No, that was all you." He told her, seeing no reason to deny it. He still wasn't going to break.

"Ah," she giggled and held his hands to stop them for a while before she tiptoed and kissed his jaw. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

His face lit up and a big grin formed before he hugged her strongly. "You are my Princess, ya know. I won't ever let you down."

She hugged him back. After a while, a cheeky smile formed on her lips. "Yeah, and I'll have you up, too."

"You're being dirty again, Sarada." He huffed, ears burning as he pulled away. "That's low."

"Me?" She gasped and said innocently, "I'm all showered and clean, love. Perhaps _you're_ being dirty." Sarada licked her lower lip and bit it, as she waited for his response.

Boruto shook his head, impressed by how thoroughly she was trying him. "Keep it up and I will be." He threatened, eyes locked on her lips that just kept taunting him.

"I'm not doing anything," she blinked, still keeping up with that innocent tone of hers. Sarada took a quick look between his legs and snickered. "Maybe you should take a shower next. A _cold_ one, love."

"Don't worry about me. I've been through much worse." He huffed and turned his back to her.

Sarada laughed and let him go, but didn't put on a pair of shorts. Her belly was pushing a bit of the shirt to ride up more than usual, and she enjoyed knowing his blue eyes were on her whenever she was around.

Boruto left her in order to keep his wits about him. He returned to the living room and took Cookie outside for a few minutes before getting the movie back to where he was. He settled on the couch while the puppy ran around the living room with one of her toys. She just had to get that squeaker. Somehow, he tuned it out and focused on the movie, easily forgetting about the situation Sarada put him in, at least until she came into the living room. His eyes left the TV and followed her exposed legs as she walked by him and settled on the chair to the left.

His eyes narrowed on her, knowing she was just trying to taunt him. She was in a good position for viewing and he really enjoyed looking at her. She only had her panties on under his shirt and he got a good peek at them when she uncrossed one leg to cross the other. The shirt could have been pulled down further, but why would she do that when she was trying to kill him?

Her eyes were on the screen, but she asked him, "If you keep staring I may just have to charge you."

"Well, you're the one putting it out there." He huffed, forcing his gaze back to the movie. He couldn't concentrate on it anymore though.

Sarada hummed. "Just because girls wear short skirts doesn't mean they want it." Although he knew she was serious, her tone was still light, teasing him a little more.

"I know that." He said, looking over at her again with a pointed stare. "That's not the case this time though."

Her legs shifted, giving him a quick look at her black panties again before covering them up. "I'm not doing anything, love. I walk around the house like this all the time."

And as if to agree, Cookie pounced upon Sarada and she picked her up, putting her on her lap to pet her.

"See? She agrees with me."

"Whatever. You want me, that's why you're trying so hard to get me to crack. It's not gonna work, Princess. You might as well start begging now."

"You're so cute when you're all pouty like that."

"Whatever. I'm going for a run." He huffed and got up, not in the mood to try to get back into the movie anymore. He needed something to distract himself and he needed to get back at her for being so bad.

Sarada didn't comment and Boruto hurried upstairs to change out of his jeans and into a pair of joggers. He changed into a more suitable T-shirt too and then got on his shoes. A run really would do him well and it had been a while.

Being early evening, it was much cooler than it was in the afternoon. Summer had been brutal already, and even though it was cooler now, it was still hot. The run had him sweating more than he had in a long time and he'd stripped his shirt long before he made it back home. The comfort of his air-conditioned home was much welcome, giving him relief as he walked in and headed for the stairs. A shower was a must now, but he'd done well. He was in the clear. Sarada wasn't going to win.

He found her in their bedroom when he stepped in. She was on the bed, lying back with a book in her hands.

She didn't lift her head to look at him but asked, "How was your run?"

"Hot." He answered, voice a little raspy and still winded from the exertion.

This made her finally turn her gaze towards him and she didn't say a word. Her dark eyes roamed around his figure, starting from his face all the way down to his abs. Sarada swallowed. "A shower would be good, then."

"Yeah, I'm going." He hummed and walked over to the hamper, dropping his shirt in before pushing down his joggers and leaving them in the hamper as well. He didn't want to get her too excited, so he kept his boxers on and looked over at her on his way to their bathroom. "Don't wanna join me?"

Sarada shook her head and forced herself to go back to her book.

"Your loss." He said musingly on his way into the bathroom.

After turning on the shower, Boruto stripped his boxers off and stepped in. He kept the water much cooler than he normally would, still too hot to handle any more heat than he needed. The water felt amazing and getting all the sweat off of him was great. He shampooed his hair and then went about washing himself thoroughly. There was nothing like being clean.

There was a soft click from the door, barely heard by the falling water from the shower. Boruto enjoyed the warm water trailing down his shoulders and back, letting a relaxed sigh escape his lips as he closed his eyes to relish the feeling.

The enclosure door opened, and in came Sarada, with all her clothes off. Her hand held on to his shoulder to turn him around. Next thing he knew, her lips were locked on his, and she had him backed up on the wall. The cool tiles waking him back up to his senses to realize what was going on.

He knew she couldn't handle it and he wasn't exactly surprised that she was jumping him. He liked it, but he still broke his lips away from hers. "What are you doing, Sarada?"

A whine escaped her lips when he pulled away, and she leaned in to get another. This time, she growled when he evaded her kiss. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm just getting a kiss."

"Just a kiss?" He chuckled. "I think you're actually trying to take advantage of me… in the shower."

"It's not if you like it," she pouted. The warm water was falling down her body more than it was on him.

"I think you forgot what you need to do if you want me." He was as smug as ever, smirking as he watched her, wanting her to squirm.

"Why, when it's _mine_." Her eyes narrowed at him, her moods instantly swinging.

"Because." He said simply. He wasn't about to move or break. Not until she gave in.

Sarada pouted at him, one hand on his chest and the other inching lower on his stomach. She was getting impatient, and he knew it. But she was also stubborn and prideful. "Because _what_?"

He grabbed her hand before it could get too close and pulled it up to his chest with the other. "Because you challenged me. So you know what you need to do. Don't worry, I'll wait."

Sarada scoffed and pressed her cheek to his chest, not wanting to look at his smug little grin. "You're so annoying."

"I love you too." His expression softened, but his resolve did not.

"I didn't mean it like _that_ ," she snapped. "You're so infuriating."

"Ouch." He whined, pouting at her harsh tone and painful words. "That hurt."

"Not as much as what you're doing now," she muttered between her pouty lips. "Don't you want me?"

Boruto sighed softly, staring down at her as smug as ever. "Of course I do. I'm not in denial like you are. But we had a challenge, ya know."

Her dark eyes were wide, and although she wouldn't say it, they were _pleading_. Too bad the words wouldn't slip through her pretty pink lips.

"You sure you don't wanna give in? I mean… you came all the way in here…"

Although the water was warm, her body quivered. Sarada's body was giving him all the signals that she wanted it, but the stubborn expression on her face said otherwise. She grit her teeth and looked away for a short moment before finally softening and looking at him. Clearly unhappy with what she was going to say. " _Please_."

"Ooh. Say it again." Boruto was grinning so much his cheeks were aching, but his hands immediately began roaming at her word. She did ask nicely and he knew he wasn't likely to get more than that. It was enough, but that didn't mean he wouldn't tease her.

Sarada's eyes narrowed. " _No_." Although there was some bite to her denying his request, her hands roamed up his chest, and her head tilted to kiss the side of his neck, nipping lightly.

"Aw, but I'll ask nicely. I'll say please if you do… then I can rock your world."

Warm lips moved away from him and formed into a pout before a loud and exasperated sigh escaped her lips. "And you say _I'm_ difficult." Sarada rolled her eyes, equally displeased with having to repeat herself. " _Please_."

"Damn. I didn't think you'd actually do it." Boruto snickered, hands gliding down her back and over her plump backside to get a feel. "Okay, lets fuck."

He's been wanting her all day, so Boruto didn't waste another second before he dipped his head to capture her lips in a kiss. Not having it in him to hold back any longer, it was a very hungry and passion-filled kiss that had him slipping his tongue into her mouth within seconds. His hands kneaded her backside before his touch softened and slid over her perfect hips, up and down her sides while their tongues fought for dominance.

Boruto was the first to pull his lips away, but it was only so he could trail sweet lingering kisses down her neck. His fingers were inching between them, eager to get a feel of her. She was trembling slightly, whimpering at his subtle ministrations and feeling as needy as he was. Maybe even more so.

Working his way down, Boruto lapped at her soft, warm skin with his tongue and peppered quicker kisses on his way to her hardened nipples. They had gotten more sensitive ever since she'd gotten pregnant and one little suckle was enough to have her knees buckling and a pretty moan falling out of her mouth. His amusement had a chuckle rumbling in his chest, but he was focused on keeping her on her feet and teasing her for a moment. He couldn't help it, he really loved driving her crazy.

"We should move this to the bed," He commented as his fingertips ghosted over folds. _Fuck,_ she was so wet and so hot and oh, he needed to be buried in that sweet heat that was his.

_All his._

Sarada's hands held on to his upper arms with a hard grip. "What? No. You said we were fucking and we are fucking _here_ and _now_."

"Whoa, Princess, calm down. It wouldn't take but a moment to get you in bed. I can't really take my time in here, we will be all shriveled up."

"Boruto. Now."

Boruto rolled his eyes at her demanding tone but had her lifted up and pressed against the shower wall in the next instant. Sarada eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist and wound her arms around his neck, hips grinding in the least subdued way they could.

"So bossy." He mused, smirking are her neck before licking a slow circle where his lips were. Then he sucked on the same spot, not caring if he left a mark. He hoped he would.

A moan escaped her throat, loving the sensation but it wasn't enough for her. "You're stalling," She growled.

"You're worse than me!" Boruto huffed with a short laugh, but he was already grabbing hold of his length and guiding the tip between her folds.

He cursed under his breath at the feel of her on him and then groaned once he slipped inside of her. After all the teasing, he wanted to take her with no restraint, but he controlled himself, focusing on keeping her as comfortable as possible in the position as he moved slowly. Sarada wasn't having it, she was too wanton, already surprisingly close, no doubt from wanting him so much all day.

She felt so good, so perfect. So wet and tight around him that it was hard not to lose himself. His thrusts remained slow, difficult as it was, but each one was precise and euphoric. His mind hazed over as she got on grip on his hair and kissed him between her pleasured moans. She was so close, her walls fluttering around his throbbing cock. They were both chasing an orgasm they were so, _so_ close to.

They'd learned each other's bodies well over time and knowing how close they were to let go only pushed them even further, dragging their orgasms out even if they weren't ready for it to end. It was Sarada's choked gasps and long drawn out moans as she finally came that sent Boruto toppling over the edge and finding his own release.

When he became too sensitive to move anymore, he just held her up and rested his face in the crook of her neck. Boruto breathed heavily, deeply, but only took a moment before he was laughing at how limp Sarada had gone.

"Don't tell me you fell asleep on me."

For a moment, she didn't respond. Only groaned, but her lips curved upwards in a tired yet satisfied smile. "No, but maybe I will… in a bit."

"Let's get you in bed at least, first. Okay?" He laughed as he lifted his head, kissing her forehead once before waiting for her legs to release him. They didn't. "And you call _me_ the big baby?" He huffed, but he was nothing short of happy about carrying her. At least until they exited the shower and he had to get her dry.

Sarada groaned when he forced her to sit on the sink, but knowing she had to get dry, she didn't complain too much. Whenever she was ready for clothes and bed though, she still didn't move from the sink and Boruto watched her, left brow cocked.

"Are you gonna just sit there?"

Sarada lifted her hands, much like a child who wanted to be carried. "Carry me…"

"Aw." Boruto felt his heart melt, which was surprising considering he already expected this. "Okay, fine." He was all grins on his way over to her, scooping her up to head into their bedroom. "You must be tired now…"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs wound around his waist. Sarada's head rested on his shoulder and she sighed. "A bit. Come lie down with me."

"I am, I am." Boruto chuckled as he settled the two of them in bed and snuggled close to her. "I'm feeling really tired too." More tired than he usually felt. He was more than ready to pass out.

"You're usually still so full of energy at this time," Sarada peeked at his face. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Hmm… I think I am. Maybe I just ran more than I should have." He yawned and closed his eyes. "Just need… sleep."

"Okay," she kissed his cheek and snuggled up a little more. "Good night, love."

"Goodnight, Princess." He whispered back, already drifting.


	50. Big Sickie Baby

The sun was already up by the time Sarada peeled herself out of bed, and to her surprise, Boruto was still asleep. A look at her clock and she was flying to the shower. It was already nine in the morning! She didn't waste a second even trying to wake Boruto. Once she was out of the shower, he was still asleep, in a different position. The comforter was pulled to his side, and he was wrapped up in it. Her eyebrow lifted and she crawled on the bed to check on him.

"Boruto?" Sarada shook her fiancée lightly, but he didn't budge. Her dainty hand went up to his neck. He was burning up. "Oh, no." She got out of bed and typed up a quick text to Konohamaru, explaining she needed to stay home. Sarada also sent a text to Chocho and Inojin that she would be working from home today.

Going to their closet, she took off her work clothes and changed back into pajamas, wanting to cuddle a little more with Boruto before getting any work done. "Boruto…" she whispered. "How are you feeling?" She rubbed her nose on his ear, feeling his warmth spread to her face. He was so hot. She stroked his hair a few times when he didn't respond and Sarada decided to look for a thermometer and get some soup ready for him.

Her soft footsteps echoed in the empty house, and Cookie was already at the foot of the stairs, tail wagging, and waiting for her parents to come and play. Sarada ducked down to pet her and smiled. "Daddy's sick, Cookie. We have to make him something."

Cookie followed her into the kitchen, tail wagging and her little hips swaying. Sarada prepared her dog food before getting Boruto some soup. Even if her first instinct was to call her Mama, she stopped herself and decided she would only do that if his fever was hitting the forties. Last time she checked, it didn't seem like it. But still. Boruto almost never got sick and it still worried her.

Almost at the same time she finished making soup and toasted bread, Cookie had finished up her breakfast. Sarada scooped up the little puppy in her arms, but she faltered for a bit, she got heavier. Cookie was growing so fast. "You're getting heavy."

Sarada let Cookie down on the edge of their bed, and the little puppy started running around, not accustomed to being on their bed. Usually, Sarada wouldn't let her on, since she would shed, but she needed some help this morning. "You go wake daddy up for me, okay? I'll get his food up here."

Cookie started rolling and jumping around, until she caught Boruto's scent and started running towards him, tripping on some pillows and the covers as she went. Finally, she found his face and started licking and chewing on his hair. Sarada giggled when she heard Boruto groan and stir, and left the room to fetch his breakfast.

When she returned, Boruto was trying to settle Cookie down. "No. No… Can't play." He whined.

Despite his whining and arms keeping Cookie away from him, the puppy seemed to have thought it was a game, and looked so excited. Boruto was whining, keeping his eyes closed and trying to hide under the comforter.

Taking pity on him, Sarada picked Cookie up and placed her on the floor, where she immediately ran around the room, exploring.

Sarada crawled into bed and stroked his hair, feeling his forehead. "Boruto, wake up. I made breakfast for you."

"Saradaaaaa. I'm sick. I am so sick." He whimpered and buried his face in the pillow. "Why is it so cold?"

"You have a fever," she replied casually and took the thermometer, sticking it under his armpit. "I made you soup. You'll feel warmer after you eat it." This was the first time she ever heard Boruto complaining that it was cold, just when his body temperature was so hot. He kept his face buried in the pillow, ignoring her request. "You need to eat before I give you medicine."

"Not hungry. Cold." He groaned.

Her eyes softened, despite his attitude. Boruto never let her feel cold for long, and now she understood why. "Love, please." Sarada kept her voice soft and she wrapped her arms around him. "I'll stay here and keep you warm."

"I can't do it." He shook his head and then pulled the cover over his head. "Later." He grumbled from his place under the covers.

Her lower lip jutted out. Boruto was always a big baby, but even more so when he's sick. "It's going to get cold." Sarada shook him with a little more force this time, making sure he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again.

"Damn it!" Boruto sulked, shoving the covers down and sitting up as sulkily as possible. He shivered from the cold, chill bumps covering his skin. He pouted at her with his flushed cheeks.

A wide grin spread on her face. Partly because she had successfully gotten him to wake up, and another because he looked so cute when he was being all pouty. Now that his cheeks were flushed, he looked even cuter. Sarada placed the tray on his lap and slid into bed with him, taking her laptop from the side table and turning it on.

"I'll stay with you today," She said and grabbed the cup of coffee on his tray and took a sip.

"You were going to leave me?" He frowned, looking completely wounded.

Sarada put the mug down and poked his cheek. "I have work today. I woke up late because you didn't wake me up." Perhaps it was a bad idea to tease him, but she couldn't help it.

"You're going to _work_ when I'm _dying?"_ He gaped at her, ignoring the cold for the moment.

She chuckled and kissed his cheek. "You're not dying. And yes," she shifted her laptop on her lap and stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "I'm going to work, while you eat and sleep."

"I could be. You don't _know._ And I feel like I am." His brows were furrowed, his whole face twisted in anguish. "Don't work. Take care of me…"

Sarada put her laptop away and looked at him. "I am. Boruto, you're not even eating what I cooked for you."

He eyed her laptop for a second and then looked down at the soup. "Not hungry." He mumbled, but he still picked up the spoon and had a sip.

"Just try to eat," Sarada smiled at him and moved closer. "At least half so you can take some medicine."

Boruto nodded slowly, still looking pouty. "Why am I sick though? I'm healthy…"

"Not today you're not." Sarada rubbed his arm and leaned on him. "You've been doing too much lately. You need to rest."

He had another spoonful of soup, his pout appearing permanent. "I don't do too much. I rest… And now I'm dying. It's not fair."

Sarada rolled her eyes but an amused smile formed on her lips. "Then hurry up and get better because you can't die on me and Ita-kun. Cookie will also be upset."

Boruto faked a sob in depression and played around with his spoon. Then his eyes widened and he leaned away from Sarada, looking at her fearfully. "Get out."

Her smile melted away. "Excuse me?" Feeling offended with the tone he used with her.

"Get out of here!" He tried to yell but it came out as a feeble croak. "You could get sick… no. Not my Princess." Boruto shook his head quickly, panicked.

Sarada blinked once. Twice. "I won't get sick. I'm taking a lot of vitamins." She tried to lean in again and take the thermometer from him, but Boruto nearly kicked the small table away, spilling some of the soup in his haste to get away from her. "Stop being so annoying!" Sarada grit, stabled the table and made sure the soup wouldn't spill on the bed.

"I know you love me, but it doesn't matter. I love you more, so you have to leave. Get out."

Her eye twitched and she pushed her glasses back up her face. Sarada picked up the discarded thermometer and balked at his temperature. "Get back here. You have a high fever." She told herself if it was this high, she would call her mother for a house check-up, but judging by how annoying Boruto was, Sakura might have to use force to get some medicine in him.

"That's exactly why you need to go!" Boruto finally got his voice to cooperate, but it was still scratchy. He got away from the bed and stumbled a bit. "If you don't, I will."

Sarada grimaced and finally got out of bed, carrying the tray. She walked over to the door, and with every step she took, Boruto made sure to make another one, keeping himself away from her. She threw him a pointed stare once she reached the door, Cookie right by her feet, "you better be in bed when I come back." Her tone was lethal, beyond annoyed he was being difficult and moving around so much. With a fever that high, he could easily fall over from dizziness.

Sarada walked down the stairs and the little puppy stayed on the top stair, still not knowing how to go down. Cookie paced around and cried, being left alone. "Go back to daddy and make sure he stops being so stupid," she ground out. Even if Cookie was young, she knew what to do when Sarada started speaking that way. She yelped and ran back inside the room.

The house was quiet again and Sarada placed the dishes on the sink. Taking her phone, she placed it on speaker and called her mother. It was still fairly early, and she should still be home around now. It took a few rings before Sakura answered.

"Hello, Mama?"

" _Sarada, hello. Is everything okay? You sound a little… upset."_

Sarada sighed and turned on the faucet to wash the plates as she spoke. "Boruto has a high fever and he told me to _get out._ " She could already feel her pout forming. "He jumped out of bed!"

" _Wise of him, considering you're pregnant and more prone to infections. Fever means infection, dear. When did it start?"_

That was _not_ the answer she wanted to hear. Sarada clicked her tongue and whined. "I take all my vitamins. It just started this morning. He won't even eat right or drink medicine."

" _Won't take medicine?"_ Sakura sighed. _"Shall I come over and take care of it?"_

" _What did the idiot do this time?"_ Sasuke scoffed in the background.

" _Hush, you!"_ Sakura huffed.

Sarada groaned. "No, it's okay, I'll take care of it." After finishing the dishes, she took her phone and walked over to a cabinet, pulling out some face masks and pills. "What do you recommend he takes? Is it okay for Cookie to be near him? I told her to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Sakura giggled. _"Cookie will be fine. Worry about yourself. Just make sure he takes something. Any fever reducer will do. If it isn't gone by morning, he should be seen just in case he needs a round of antibiotics. Oh and, you should move yourself to another room until it passes. Make him clean up before you sleep with him again."_

"What?!" Sarada clamped her mouth shut. Her shock was too loud, and no way did she want to talk to her mother that way. "I'm sorry," she collected herself and added softly. "What do you mean I can't sleep with him? Like, in a different room?" She hasn't done that in months… it felt like years, though.

Sakura laughed a little harder. _"What did you think I meant? Yes, a different room, Sarada. This could be contagious and your immune system isn't as strong with you being pregnant. Keep your distance."_

"But… but…" Sarada couldn't even stand the thought of taking a nap without him. What more the entire night? "I'm working from home today to take care of him. How can I do that from another room?"

" _You can check in on him, sweetheart. Just be cautious. It's for the best. Boruto understands. As long as you monitor his fever, everything will be fine. Soaking in a lukewarm bath can also help bring down the fever."_

"Okay," her voice was a lot smaller, but she had to listen to her mother. She was a doctor, after all. "Thanks, Mama. I'll call you again later."

" _Sooner, if you need me, anytime. Papa and I love you!"_

"I love you too." Sarada ended the call and put her phone down. She took a big inhale and exhaled through her mouth. It looks like this would be a lot more difficult than Sarada expected.

She put a face mask on, took the pills, and a glass of water with her before making her way upstairs to their bedroom. Sarada pushed the door open and found Boruto all bundled up in the comforter, and Cookie was between his arms. She was half awake, but looked comfortable enough. Taking the last few steps to be by his side, Sarada sat down next to him and stroked his hair. He was still burning up.

"Boruto," she stroked his cheek. "I brought your medicine."

"Mm. Mm mm." He shook his head slightly. "Cold."

"Still?" Sarada put the glass and pill down, walking into their closet to fetch another quilt and close the windows on her way back to him. It was a sunny day, and it was a shame he was missing it. She draped the quilt over him and tucked him in, sitting back down and stroking his hair. "Better now?"

"Mmhmm." Boruto sighed softly, the furrow between his brows lessening slightly. Then, out of nowhere, he blanched. "What the hell are you doing back in here?!" He yelled, or tried to, but he was getting hoarse. His blue eyes weakly looked to her and then he visibly relaxed. "Oh…"

Her dark eyes crinkled at the corner, the mask hiding her smile. "Take your medicine, please? I want you to get better. Mama said I have to stay away from you, and I don't want that."

Boruto sat up, grabbing the glass of water and the pills without waiting another moment. He took it quickly and drank half the water, groaning after he set the glass aside. "I don't want that either. How long is this going to last? Couple hours?"

"Mama said if you don't get better by tomorrow you should go to the hospital, or she can come here."

"TOMORROW?!" Boruto gasped and then groaned. "No way. I'm not going all day and all night without you. I'm not going to lose to this shit."

She giggled and kissed his cheek, despite the mask separating them. "I know you won't. Go back to sleep, I have to prepare the other room. I'll come back to check on you in a while and run a bath for you."

Boruto grabbed her hand before she could move, face fallen to show his turmoil. "Prepare the other room? For what?"

Sarada's eyes softened. "Just in case, love. Mama said I might get infected because I'm pregnant… I don't want to stay away, either. So rest up and get better, okay?"

"But… but… I miss you."

She cupped his face and sighed. "I miss you too. Go back to sleep, okay? I'll let Cookie stay with you so you have company."

"You'll come back?" He asked, forcing himself to let her hand go.

"Of course. I'll check in on you."

"Okay… I love you." Boruto said, offering her a small, sad smile.

"I love you too." Sarada smiled and stroked his cheek. "Sleep well, love." She knew Boruto would delay further, so she took her laptop from the bed and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

She picked the room at the end of the hall, as it had a desk and the windows were bigger there. The breeze was delightful and warm, it made her feel worse that Boruto was still feeling cold. Sarada set up her laptop on the table and placed her phone next to her laptop, quickly checking if she had any notifications. When it was clear, she opened up the cabinet and started putting clean sheets on the twin-sized bed, sad that she might have to spend the night here and not next to her fiancée.

Sarada was able to get a solid hour of work done until she stood up to get some water for herself and check on Boruto. Cookie was running around the bed, while he was fast asleep. Taking pity on Cookie, she put her on the floor instead, and left the door open in case she wanted to wander outside.

After preparing lunch, Sarada ate it up and then brought some to Boruto. He was still bundled up, but texting on his phone when she came in. His fever wasn't as high as it was, but his cheeks were flushed, and he was still hot to her touch. "How're you feeling?" She placed the food on the side table and sat next to him.

"Hot as hell." He muttered. "Am I sweating? I feel sweaty… I was just going to text you…"

Sarada hummed and stroked his face. "Not really… I can run you a warm bath.

"Thank you, but you don't have to. You have enough to worry about. I'll try to eat and then take a bath." He smiled and sat up more comfortably so he could eat.

Seeing Boruto so weak and not feeling well was new to her. His shoulders shuddered when the quilt fell off him and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him to keep him warm. "I can stay a bit," she offered weakly. "I can also give you a bath."

Being pregnant made her happy, but times like these, she wished she wasn't so she could take care of him properly.

"Give me a bath?" That caught his attention and had him looking at her with arched brows.

Sarada chuckled. "Yes, love. After you eat. You can text me when you finish."

"Okay… you're right. I probably could use your help." He nodded. "As long as you wear your mask."

"Of course." She smiled under her mask and stroked his cheek before leaving him to eat.

Back in the spare room, Sarada opened up her emails and got to work again, but it didn't last long when she received a text from him ten minutes after. She arched her brow. If he was done eating, that was too fast… regardless, she put her mask back on and walked back to their room. True enough, his food was all gone. "That was fast."

"Hungry. I feel a little better now. Hot though." He got out of bed, face much softer than it had been all day. "Bath time?"

"Okay," Sarada grinned and held on to his hand as she led him to the bathroom. She let the water run and placed some bubble bath, too. Turning to face him, she removed his shirt and hugged him before removing the rest of his clothes and helping him into the tub. She pulled up a small chair and sat on it, letting the suds bubble around them. "Is the water okay?"

"Yes, warm but not too hot. Comfy. Feels good." He sighed happily while sinking down into the water. "After this bath I think I'll be good as new."

"I hope so," Sarada said and dunked a small towel in the tub and folded it before putting it on his head. "I don't like seeing you sick."

"I don't like it at all. Takes my princess away." He complained with a pout.

She softened at that and had to agree. His fever wasn't dying down yet, and she was afraid it would turn out to be something serious. Sarada felt sad, and her voice lowered. "I know."

"What if… one day, Ita-kun gets the fever? I think I would be very scared." Boruto frowned, crossing his legs and gliding his hands around in the water.

The thought of her baby suffering made her heart hurt. "I would be, too. But he'll be okay," Sarada placed her hand on his shoulder and sighed. "You'll be fine, love." Sarada wasn't so sure if she was saying that to reassure him, or herself.

"Yeah… thanks to you." He hummed, a look of ease and fondness filling his eyes. "How's work?"

Sarada sighed. "And you, of course. Work is slow today, thankfully. I really like the room at the end of the hall. But I miss having you around already."

"Ha. Don't go getting comfortable. You won't be in there long." He rolled his eyes. "Of course I want you to be healthy… so I will accept it. Just this once. I'm never getting sick again."

She laughed at that. "I do hope you get better soon. I don't think I can sleep right without you later." It was selfish of her to think that, but as far as she knew, Boruto also had trouble sleeping away from her.

"Cookie can't compare to your cuddles," Boruto whined. "She is warm though…"

"That's because she's still small," Sarada shook her head, laughing lightly. "Wait until she gets bigger. We won't have room on our bed anymore."

"She's growing so fast… I bet Ita-kun will be the same. Growing up before we know it."

Sarada hummed and nodded. "I bet he will. And I hope he'll be what I wished for him in his time capsule." Being close to Boruto and helping him soap his body was making Sarada feel better, it made her miss him less and talking to him like this was making her forget he was even sick.

"And what was that exactly?" He pressed, lips pulled apart in a grin.

"Stop fishing," she splashed his face lightly with water. "I already showed you part of it."

Boruto snickered and resisted the urge to splash her back. "Fine, I'll wait. I'm feeling a lot better, ya know. I think I could go for a good thriller."

"You want to watch in the family room?" Sarada asked. "I can bring your quilt down for you."

"You don't have to do so much, Princess. I'm okay." Boruto said, though he didn't bother trying to hide how happy he was with the offer. "I'd rather be down there, but I think I'll stay in the bedroom just to keep the sickness from spreading through the house. Until I know it's gone for good."

"Okay," she replied and helped him get rinsed out. She pulled the plug for him, and helped him out of the tub, taking a towel and drying him off. It was nice to have the roles reversed for a change, as Boruto was always the one taking care of her and drying her off. Despite his skin being flushed, and his occasional shivers, Boruto still looked so good.

Sarada took the pajamas she prepared for him, not letting him fuss when he didn't want to wear the sweater, but he had to sweat the fever out. "You said you were cold," she argued. "Stay warm and go back to bed."

"But I got hot and I'm already warm. I'm not even sick anymore. Right now." He huffed and complained, but he still put the sweater on. "Sweater in summer… never in my _life."_

"You're sick, so this is your life now," her eyes narrowed at him and she pushed him towards the bedroom and made him sit down on the bed. She took the water and the medicine and handed it to Boruto. "Here you go, love."

"More of this shit?" He accepted both begrudgingly and took the medicine. "Alright, definitely better. No more."

She pressed her hand on his forehead and tutted. "You still have a fever, Boruto. Go back to sleep."

"I'm not sleepy!" He shook his head, glaring mildly at her. "I said I'm going to watch a movie. Or a series maybe. Don't worry, I'll text you."

Sarada sighed and put her hands on her hips. And he said _she_ was difficult. That wasn't the case right now, though. "Fine!" She bit out. "Stay sick, and make me stay away from you even more." She marched right out of the room, leaving Boruto and went straight down the hall into her temporary room. Sarada lied down on the bed and removed her mask. There were a few email notifications on her phone and she decided to check them out while she stayed in bed.

Sarada got a text from Boruto and felt her face pucker up. She was still angry with him, but when she read his text, all her anger dissipated.

" _I'm sorry. I love you."_

Her face softened and she smiled but texted back. "Stop being so annoying."

Boruto replied after a few seconds, first with a photo of the TV with a creepy looking title on and then another of her fave, up close and personal. He was grinning, cheeks still flushed and blue eyes closed.

" _I know. You're so sweet and perfect."_

Sarada scoffed, but ended up giggling. "Get well soon, love. I'll go back to work." She took a photo of the white desk, facing the window. Her laptop screen was blacked out, but the afternoon light spilled in, making it look inviting. Who knew a workstation could look so good?

" _Okay. If I scream, I'm okay."_

Sarada barely felt the rest of the afternoon go by, hard at work and Boruto was no longer sending her texts every minute, spoiling the scary movie he was watching for her. Sarada was glad she wasn't there but felt bad for their little puppy when Boruto sent her a photo of Cookie hiding under the quilt.

It was already six in the evening and the sun was setting when she looked up from her laptop. Deciding takeout would be faster, she picked something from Thunder Burger for them and put on a new mask before going into their bedroom.

Boruto was sitting on his side of the bed, with Cookie taking Sarada's spot. She looked a little calmer now, and Boruto's face didn't look so red. Sarada walked over and crawled into bed, placing her hand on his forehead. "Better!" She beamed. "How are you feeling?"

"Shocked. Sometimes these people really go for the most ridiculous shit." He shook his head and sighed. "It's pretty good though. I say that and yet I'm expecting an end that is really going to piss me off. Only a few episodes left!"

She smiled and hugged him, resting her head on his chest, careful not squish Cookie in between. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes. "Maybe we can sleep together tonight, after all."

"Yeah!" Boruto nodded excitedly. "If I'm fever free, I think it's fine. We could even switch beds to be safe and cuddle close on that little twin bed."

"We could," Sarada agreed eagerly. "Though it isn't half as comfy as our bed. Oh, and I ordered Thunder Burger for dinner. Sorry, I lost track of time while working."

"I don't care as long as I can hold you and feel you, and smell you. Thunder Burger, you say? Throat is kinda sore but I can taste the perfection already."

"I knew you would like it," Sarada grinned. "But your throat is sore?" Her hands cupped both sides of his face. "What else are you feeling? Have you been coughing?"

"No." He shook his head slowly. "That was it really. Cold, hot, sore throat. Sweaty, but not since my bath."

That was relieving to hear. "Okay, good."

It wasn't long until the doorbell rang and their food had arrived. Boruto was able to leave their room, and they ate in the dining area, having a sense of normalcy come between them again. While they were cleaning up, Sarada noticed that Boruto's face was starting to get a little red again, and when she pressed her hand to his forehead, she frowned. "Your fever is back again."

"What?" He looked as if that was the last thing he expected, even going as far as feeling his own forehead. "I'm fine. It's just a little cool in here."

This made her frown deepen. "The AC isn't even on, Boruto." Sarada went into the kitchen and put on another mask, feeling frustrated and upset he was still sick. "Go back upstairs, I'll clean up here."

Boruto wanted to argue, he was feeling completely dejected over having fever again. "Should I take medicine again?" He asked, walking behind her. "I could take it and then I won't have the fever…"

"Yes, do take it." Sarada pulled out the bottle of pills and handed it to him. "Just one, okay?" She prepared a glass of water for him to take with him upstairs. "I'll be up to tuck you in. Just give me a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay…" he trailed off, watching her for a moment longer before making his way upstairs like she told him to.

When she finished up and turned off the lights downstairs, she found Boruto sitting in bed, a sad look on his face as he held the thermometer in his hands. Sarada took a peek and gasped at the temperature, it rose since dinner, and it genuinely concerned her. "Oh, Boruto." She hugged him and stroked his back. "You'll be better tomorrow, okay? I'll call Mama to come and have a look."

"I'm sorry…" Boruto whispered as he hugged her back, giving her a little squeeze before pulling away. "Don't worry okay, Cookie will look after me. You go on, you need to sleep."

_I won't be able to without you._

Part of her really wanted to say it, and perhaps sleeping with a mask on wouldn't be so bad. But it would only make him feel worse and she didn't want that at all. "Okay. Good night." Sarada kissed his cheek and petted Cookie before walking out of the room, heart feeling heavy that she would be in the same house, but not be able to sleep with him for the night.

Sarada knew she wouldn't sleep a wink without him.


	51. The Body Pillow is a Homewrecker

When Boruto awoke the next morning, he muttered one curse after the next between his chattering teeth. He felt awful, so cold and alone. Sarada wasn't there. She should have been in bed next to him like she always was, where he could sleep with his arm around her and feel the swell of her belly that continued to grow. If it hadn't been for how horrible he felt, Boruto was sure he wouldn't have slept at all. Even though he had, he felt exhausted, his throat was sore again, worse than before and he was _so cold._

Truth be told, it was rare that Boruto ever got sick. That made him all the more depressed about it and unable to understand. There was no reason for this sickness and it prevented him from being with his princess which was unacceptable. He rolled over on his side and stuck his hand out from under the covers to grab his phone off the nightstand. Once he had it, he buried himself under the covers completely and checked the time on his phone.

It was early and doubtful Sarada was awake. It was also a weekday and he thought she may try to leave him for work. The whole situation was horrible. He hated it. The fever was back so maybe he needed to find that medicine he had been taking and maybe have a bath. He felt much better after that the night before and he couldn't take this sickness anymore.

He sent her a good morning text with a kissy emoji and then got out of bed, but not without taking the whole comforter with him. It felt even colder when he left the bedroom and started making his way through the house, body shivering with every other step. In the kitchen, he found the medicine, but there were lots of different kinds and he had to read the labels before he finally found the fever reducer.

After taking two pills and drinking a glass of water, Boruto grumbled one complaint after the next on his way back upstairs. A bath would do, but first, he had to see her. The guest room was at the end of the hallway and Boruto slowly and silently pushed the door open to peer inside. Sarada was curled up on the small bed, cuddled up to something that _wasn't_ him. For a second, he forgot about the cold and pushed the door open further to walk in.

There was a long body pillow that her arm and leg were laying over, her pretty pink lips parted just slightly as she breathed. She was sleeping so well and looked so peaceful. It wasn't fair. He didn't like it, even though he really did. She was so cute, he had to like it. However, it should have been him that she was holding onto like that. This pillow hadn't even existed, he was sure of it. He would have known!

Boruto padded closer to the bed and glared at the pillow stealing his princess. Not in his house. "Sarada," he called, voice so hoarse it was barely audible. It hurt his throat to even attempt to speak, but he cleared his throat weakly and tried again, "Sarada." It was still weak, but enough for him to be heard.

She stirred a bit, but only to cling on to the body pillow more and snuggle her cheek into it. That pillow should have been _his_ chest.

Boruto almost stomped his foot, nearing a tantrum. "Sarada!" He called even louder, groaning at the achy burn it caused his throat. Oh, he was definitely on the verge of death… and she was clinging to _not_ him.

Sarada stirred some more, groaning by the tiniest bit. "Five more minutes…" she mumbled before going back to sleep.

"No." Boruto tried to say, but his voice failed him and he huffed in frustration, leaning over to nudge her shoulder. "Get up." The words came out this time, though they were broken and he was keenly aware of how he sounded nothing like himself.

"Borutoooo," she whined, and tossed her hand around, trying to swat him away. "It's not… morning yet."

"Yes, it is morning, fuck. And you… with the pillow, letting me die!" He did stomp his foot then, mainly because his words were dying in his throat more than they were coming out and he sounded like he was already one foot in the grave.

Finally, her eyes started blinking open. Sarada squinted at him, no doubt still blind from sleep and her glasses were still on the bedside table next to her. "Who's dead?" She mumbled, half asleep.

Boruto pointed to himself. "Me. Almost!" He really hated when he was trying to be loud and it was coming out as a whisper.

Sarada groped around for her glasses, knocking over the pair to the floor, along with her face mask. "Oh no."

Groaning, Boruto bent over and swiped her glasses so he could hand them over. "The hell… pillow for?" He couldn't even argue about this woman stealing pillow properly and he was about to snap.

Finally, the world and her angry fiancée came into her view. Sarada sat up but dragged her body pillow closer to her to squeeze it. "I couldn't sleep last night, and I was talking to my uncles. They came by around three in the morning to give me this."

Those bastards. "I beg your pardon," Boruto hissed and scowled at the way she held on to the pillow. "You don't need… stupid."

Gazing at the facemask on the floor and then back at Boruto, Sarada leaned a little farther away and brought the pillow up to cover her nose and mouth, hiding and hugging her pillow a little tighter. "I couldn't sleep without you, okay? I need my sleep…"

"You shouldn't!" Boruto shook his head and whimpered at how badly his throat ached. "I see what this is…"

Sarada dropped the pillow and frowned at him. "What?" She asked him to hand her the face mask, extending her hand out for him. "Do you still have a fever?"

Boruto handed over the face mask, disappointed in himself for not thinking about it. "Yes! I'm dy...ing. And you… stupid pillow!" His lower lip was poking out so far and his blue eyes were as watery as his throat was achy. "Get rid of it."

She put on the facemask and put the pillow away. She crawled over to him and felt his forehead. Although the mask obstructed the view of her lips, the way her brows furrowed together, he knew she wasn't happy. Her tongue clicked and she picked up her phone. "I'm calling Mama. Your fever hasn't died down." She completely ignored his request to get rid of the pillow!

"I took medicine. Give me pillow."

She held up a finger as she texted away, probably telling Sakura to come over to have a look. "Are you coughing? What else do you feel? Do you have a cold? What did you take and how many?"

Again. Ignoring what he was saying about that stupid princess stealing pillow.

"Throat. Hurts. Fever. Two pills. Hand me that damn pillow or else." She wasn't going to ignore him. Not a chance. Not anymore.

She nodded and texted that to her mom and then held on to his wrist, dragging him out of the guest room and back to their bedroom. "Go back to bed, I'll make you tea. Where's Cookie?"

"No bed! No tea! No Cookie!" Boruto fussed, shaking his head. "Pillow!"

Sarada was glaring at him now. "What do you mean? Where did you put Cookie?" Her concern for the dog, more than him was upsetting him even further. And she kept on hedging away from giving him the damn pillow.

"She's in bed." Boruto rolled his eyes and turned away from her, stalking back out of the bedroom. He would go get that damn pillow and get rid of it now. Sick or not, she couldn't stop him.

Halfway into the hall, Sarada sprinted back up the stairs to stop him. "Where are you going?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I said get back to bed. Mama will be here in an hour to give you a check-up."

"Something to take care of." He muttered, keeping on his way. Sarada caught him only when he was inside the guest room, discarding the comforter in favor of getting that stupid pillow and carrying it to the window. Boruto pulled the window open and dangled the pillow out.

"NO!" Sarada screeched, pulling her pillow out of his grasp and holding on to it possessively. "Don't you _dare_ touch my pillow!"

"What about your _man?"_ He glared at her, pulling the pillow back away from her. "This shitty pillow can't take care of you. Can it?"

Sarada scowled. "You're being unreasonable!" She took a good hold and plucked it out of Boruto's hands and back into her arms. "This fever is making you delirious."

"Fine! Have your stupid pillow! See if I care!" Boruto sulked angrily and left her with her new lover, stomping his way out of the guest room.

Sarada stood there in the room, gaping at him. She threw the pillow down onto her temporary bed and followed him out. "What is your problem? Just because you're sick doesn't mean I'm going to tolerate you being a jerk!"

" _Me?_ You're the one who'd rather have a pillow. So have your damn pillow. I'm out of here!" He knew he was being a little ridiculous, but his feelings were hurt. He was so sick but all she cared about was her pillow. He went back into the bedroom and to the closet so he could find some clothes.

"What does the pillow have to do with _anything_?" Her voice was getting louder, right on his heels. "That shirt doesn't even fit you anymore." Sarada was seething.

Boruto flung the shirt aside and whirled around to glower at her. "Now you're calling me _fat?!"_ The audacity…

Sarada ground her teeth. "I wear that to sleep!" They were shouting now, their voices bouncing off the walls and reverberating back into their bodies. "What is _wrong_ with you?" She closed her eyes and tried desperately to calm down, taking a big breath. "I lack sleep, haven't had my coffee, and now _this_." Releasing a sigh she looked at him and willed her features to calm down. " _Please_ go back to bed. I'll make you tea while we wait for Mama."

"I said I am _leaving_ ," He said adamantly. "You have your precious coffee and your too big pillow and forget about me so I can just die already."

"Don't you dare," her voice was low, and gone was her calm. Sarada was infuriated and her shoulders started shaking. "You promised me you'd never leave me."

Boruto slammed the closet door closed and turned back to her, hating how she could make him feel guilty as if this was all his fault. "Fine!" He couldn't even leave peacefully. "I'm going to take a bath then."

It was a good thing she tried to stop him, or he really would have been upset.

The guilt didn't really hit him fully until he was in the bath. When it did, he cursed himself for everything he could, knowing he was in the wrong and needed to apologize to her. His fever was beginning to ease and his mind cleared. Surely if he hadn't had such a high fever he would have never acted like that.

By the time he got out of the bath, he felt a lot better. He wasn't cold or hot, just comfortable enough. Boruto hurried to dry himself off and wrapped his towel around his waist. Before anything else, he needed to find Sarada and tell her he was sorry and the pillow was probably better for her than he was.

Boruto walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where he assumed she would be, halting at the entrance when he spotted her there with her parents. Blue eyes widened at the sight and he could only imagine the shit Sasuke was talking because his hormonal fiancée had more than likely laid it all out in the open.

Making a strategic retreat—especially considering his attire or lack thereof—Boruto hurried up the stairs and into the bedroom, closing the door silently. This wasn't good at all and he almost wished he wasn't feeling better at this moment. His body felt better at least, but his mind was in utter turmoil. He really messed up.

It was only up to him to save himself and prove that he wasn't as horrible as they may think, so Boruto got dressed right away, putting on sweatpants and a sweatshirt even though it was summer. Sarada would be happy.

Downstairs, he found them still in the kitchen, and just as expected, Sasuke had a thing or two to say about his actions.

"I thought you were dead," Sasuke smirked, to which Sakura flicked his ear.

"Shush, Sasuke-kun." The doctor walked up to Boruto, pressing the back of her hand on his forehead. Sakura clicked her tongue. "Not as bad as I thought but you still have a fever." She led him to the dining area to sit down and brought her bag over.

"I took medicine about an hour ago… and had a bath. I'm feeling better now." Boruto told her as he sat still and watched her rummage through the bag. He really hoped she didn't have a shot in there.

Sakura hummed and asked a few more questions, to which either he or Sarada would answer. His fiancée was now sitting on the chair next to him, wearing her facemask. Sasuke stood next to Sakura, silently watching her work.

"What have you been taking? Have you been around anyone sick lately?"

"Just fever reducers. I'm not sure… Mitsuki did have a cold recently, but I don't remember him ever having a fever."

Sakura nodded and wrote it down, using a stethoscope to listen to his heartbeat and his lungs. "You don't have a cold?"

"I was fine. I went running, came home and… showered. I woke up sick. That was it, I was perfectly healthy before bed." It didn't even make sense. "I got a fever and a sore throat soon after. My voice comes and goes…"

A small kit was pulled out of her bag and she told him to open his mouth to take a swab. Boruto complied, wanting to get this over with, find the cause, and hopefully get better soon. Once that was done, Sakura put it in the tester and rummaged through her bag again, pulling out a small bottle of pills… and a syringe.

"W-w-what are you pulling _that_ out f-for?" Boruto leaned back away from her, eyes wide in fear.

"In case I'm right," Sakura mumbled before going back to the test and reading the result. Her green eyes brightened. "And it looks like I am." She grinned and put on a pair of gloves. "I'll need you to pull your pants down, please."

" _What?"_ Boruto and Sasuke both asked at the same time. Then Boruto repeated, "what?! No, ma'am. You are _not_ sticking that thing in my ass."

"It's not painful at all," Sakura smiled. "And you'll feel better a lot sooner. You want to get better, right?"

"It _will_ hurt," Boruto whined. "Fine, but in the arm."

Sakura shook her head. "Sorry, it can't go in your arm. It would have been my first option as well," she giggled. She was enjoying this too much. Boruto never knew her to be such a sadist.

"Are you sure?" Boruto pouted, but he got up from his seat as Sasuke made himself scarce. Just the thought of getting a shot in his ass was terrifying, but he did want to be better and take his princess back from the pillow. "Boxers too?" This was so much more humiliating considering it was Sarada's mom and not just any old doctor.

"Yes, please," Sakura got the syringe ready, pulling the cap off and flicking it a few times. "It won't hurt, I promise. Right, Sarada?"

Sarada cringed. "Uuuhh… right." She gave Boruto an apologetic smile.

Boruto knew that was a lie, but he steeled his nerves and hooked his thumbs in his waistbands, pushing his bottoms down just below his backside. "Take it easy, please."

"Just relax," Sakura's voice was soothing. And as if on cue, Sarada moved closed to him to hold his hand. "Don't tense up now, or it'll be pinchy."

Boruto squeezed Sarada's hand and took a deep breath, staring at those beautiful obsidian eyes that he loved so much to keep himself distracted. The injection was painful, the feel of the medicine going in more so than the actual shot. Somehow he managed to keep from tensing up and breathed a sigh of relief once it was over. He survived. Somehow. He made it.

"What a cute butt," Sakura muttered, an amused smile on her face as she put the used syringe away. "See? It wasn't painful, right?"

"It hurt so bad!" Boruto whimpered, rubbing his now sore bottom before pulling his pants and boxers back to his waist.

Sarada squeezed his hand and grinned behind her mask. "At least it's done now."

"So I'm better? No more fever? You can come back to bed with me…" he looked between Sarada and Sakura hopefully.

"You should be better in around 48 hours," Sakura was now packing up, and handed him a bottle of pills. "Take one twice a day and you can suck on these if your throat hurts," she slid over a pack of candy looking things meant for sore throats. "Sarada, darling, best you observe and keep your mask on. I don't want you risking your pregnancy. Are you still taking your vitamins?"

"I am," she nodded. "I still have to sleep in another room?"

"Best for now, darling."

"E-even if I wear a mask?" Boruto asked, wanting to find any way to get Sarada back to her rightful place at night. With him.

Sakura's eyes softened. "I wouldn't risk it."

Boruto was crushed. He knew she was right and he certainly didn't want his pregnant fiancée to get sick because of him, but he also didn't want her to want that pillow more than him. He wanted to _be_ her pillow.

"I understand." He nodded in agreement, ignoring his depression. "Thank you for coming. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing." Sakura waved her hand and grinned. "Perks of marrying into a family with a doctor. Call me if you need anything, okay? Sarada, tell me his fever progress until tomorrow."

"I appreciate it, but I would prefer to pay you for your work." Even if he had taken a shot in the ass, Sakura was only doing her job—a job she was paid to do. She wasn't going to accept any money from him though. "I should continue to take the fever reducers whenever I get the fever?"

"Just take the pills I gave you, and you should be fine soon. The fever should go away by later or tomorrow, but your sore throat may continue for a week. Let's see first."

"Thank you again… I'm sorry to be so much trouble." Boruto said with a small smile. "I'll head back up to the bedroom and quarantine myself."

"I'll tuck you in," Sarada stood up to follow him but came back to give her mother a kiss on the cheek before going back upstairs with Boruto.

Boruto sulked with every step he took. His ass didn't hurt half as bad as his heart did and guilt was still gnawing at him. As he got into bed, he thought deeply about the right way to apologize to Sarada for being such a jerk, but he didn't think anything would be good enough. She was too good to him, tucking him in just like she said she would… and she didn't even look mad.

"I'm sorry, Princess," He told her, voice barely a whisper and not because it was hoarse.

"It's okay," she whispered, pulling the other quilt over him. "Just focus on getting better."

"And then you will come back to me?"

"I'm not leaving, Boruto. I never left. I'm just down the hall."

"But… the pillow…" he frowned, pouting yet again.

"What about the pillow?" Sarada asked, genuinely confused. "It was a gift."

"You only need it until you can sleep with me again though. Right?" He asked softly. "I guess that's not so bad… I do want my girl to sleep. If not you're way too grumpy."

Sarada hummed. "Yeah, I guess. It does help me sleep better."

"I help you sleep the best though." He smiled much easier then, blinking up at her with a calm expression. He finally felt a lot better, both physically and mentally.

She stroked his cheek and smiled at him softly. "Of course you do."

"You take such good care of me. But I like it best when I take care of you…" he leaned into her touch and sighed softly. "I love you."

"I do miss you taking care of me." Sarada giggled. "I love you too, Boruto." She kissed his forehead through the mask and stroked his hair before getting up on her feet. "I'll bring you some tea if you haven't fallen asleep yet."

He nodded, wishing he could really kiss her. Just a kiss and he'd be happy. "Okay. I think I will get back to that new show so I'll be up for a bit. Take your time."

"Okay, love." Sarada closed the door silently behind her.

With nothing else to do, Boruto got the remote and turned on the series he'd started the day before. It at least was able to capture and hold his attention, keeping his occupied as much as he could be. He kept himself bundled under the covers, just as she had tucked him in. Laying there all warm and comfy made him sleepy, but he tried to fight it and watch his show. He missed Sarada. He missed being healthy. He missed feeling good and he knew he would suffer through a thousand more shots in his ass to get back to normal.

For him, and for her.

Soon, Sarada returned with tea and Boruto managed to stay awake long enough to drink it and thank her again for putting up with him and taking care of him too. He really did owe her for it and knew he would have fun spoiling her once he was back to full health. He loved Sarada and would do anything for her, but he was human and sometimes he made mistakes just like everyone else. Luckily for him, Sarada loved him anyway. For better or for worse, they were in this together and that was how a real relationship was meant to work.

They had to take care of each other, love each other even at their worst, support each other when they needed it most and forgive each other whenever they did something as foolish as getting jealous over a pillow. Was he dramatic? Hell yeah, he was, but that wasn't going to change and Sarada _knew_. She understood him, she knew him and his ways, even if she did get upset, he knew she would forgive him and give him a chance to make things right.

And he would. He always would.


	52. Progress

When her parents left, Sarada was alone on the first floor. Cookie stayed with Boruto again, and the house was quiet. Taking her laptop, she went back to her temporary room and decided to get some work done. After two hours of working and no texts from Boruto, she decided to go check on him, finding him fast asleep with their little puppy tucked between his arms.

She was about to leave, but his phone started buzzing on the bedside table. Sarada didn't want him to wake up, so she took his phone and looked at the screen. Her eyes widened. He had over fifty unread text messages and no less than twenty missed calls, all marked for work.

Her lips pursed and she quickly put in his passcode to check on his messages. Nearly all of them were from Mitsuki, asking where he was, and some others who she guessed were clients or suppliers of his. Even the gardener was asking if he should come around to work on their yard. Sarada groaned. It wasn't like Boruto to miss out on work, and if she woke him up now to get these done, he would most likely whine and reiterate that he was dying.

Sarada rolled her eyes at the thought and replied to the people whom she knew, like the gardener and Mitsuki, explaining Boruto was sick. She let the gardener come around tomorrow, but Mitsuki started calling. Her panic grew, and she had half a mind not to answer, but it would be rude, knowing she had just sent a text to him a few moments ago. She left the room and answered him quietly.

"Hello?"

" _Sarada? Boruto is sick?_ How sick? _I need him."_ Mitsuki spoke into the phone calmly in spite of his words.

"He has a fever," Sarada explained. "It's been a few days now, and he's stuck in bed, asleep."

" _Shit. We have an important meeting with a client tomorrow. Boruto is the brains behind our investments. I can't do it without him."_ Now he was beginning to sound worried.

"Oh," Sarada understood what Mitsuki meant, and if she were Boruto, she would be neck-deep in guilt. Or better yet, forcing herself out of bed to get work done. "I'll tell him when he gets up. Is there anything else urgent you need from him?"

" _Everything else can wait. Maybe he forgot about this, but Boruto doesn't discuss his side of things with me and he doesn't write anything down. It's all in his head! He can't miss this meeting no matter what. The client is flying in specially to meet with us."_

It wasn't her job or her business, but Sarada was already stressing about it. "Okay, I understand the urgency. I'll tell him as soon as he wakes up."

" _Thank you. I hope you're doing well with the baby."_ He told her kindly. _"Tell him I'll be expecting a call tonight."_

Sarada put the phone down and felt her stress levels rise. Not good, not good. Taking a few deep breaths, she peeked in the room again, only to find him still fast asleep. She really shouldn't wake him… but if this client was flying in specifically to meet with Boruto, it would be bad if he missed it.

She opened his phone's calendar, seeing a name, time, and place to meet this person. Sarada never interfered with Boruto's work and had nearly no clue what he did or how he went about his business. All she knew was… a lot of numbers were involved.

"Fuck," Sarada muttered and opened up the phone to call Mitsuki, getting as many details as she could from him about the client. Opening up his emails, there was rarely anything from the person, much less Boruto replying. There were a lot of call logs, though. Mitsuki's frustration with Boruto never writing things down was valid—she thought that because she was feeling it now.

Sarada called Mitsuki again, explaining she couldn't find anything and would really have to wait for Boruto to wake up to attend to the matter at hand. Sneaking into the room, Sarada clicked her tongue when she found that his fever wasn't going away any time soon.

Deciding it wasn't worth her stress, Sarada put Boruto's phone back on the nightstand next to him and she went back to her spare room to sleep. This much stress wasn't good for her or her baby, and she felt exhausted thinking of ways to cover for Boruto. Her fiancé was sick and it wasn't fair if he had to work. But on the other hand, if she were the one flying in to meet with Boruto, she wouldn't accept this excuse.

Sarada sighed and cuddled up to her body pillow, making herself comfortable and wishing it were Boruto she was hugging instead.

.

.

.

The sun was already hanging low in the sky when Sarada woke up. She felt hot and sticky with sweat, groaning that she probably forgot to open the window before falling asleep. Her phone was buzzing, and she took it to check her messages, the phone just a few inches away from her face to make the words clearer. Nothing too important. Just some approvals from Chocho and Inojin. She would need to get to that later.

After a few more moments lingering in bed and fighting off her sleep, Sarada put her body pillow away and got up, slowly making her way to their bedroom to check on Boruto. He wasn't there, and neither was Cookie.

Sarada looked around inside and he wasn't in the bathroom either. She walked down the stairs, calling out for him. "Boruto?" When she didn't get a response right away, she wandered into the living room and that's where she found Cookie, chewing on a toy on the couch. The door to Boruto's study was open and she peeked in.

"Boruto?"

He was standing by the window, looking outside, and on the phone. He sounded much better, neither did his skin look flushed anymore.

Sarada walked over and hugged Boruto from behind, smiling a bit when she noted he no longer had a fever. They stayed like that until he finished his call.

"Hey," he spoke softly to her as he slipped his phone into the pocket of his joggers. "Sorry about that. Mitsuki."

"It's okay," Sarada replied. "He called a lot while you were asleep. "I tried to help, but you don't write anything down."

Boruto rubbed her arms that were wrapped around him and sighed. "You shouldn't worry about anything like that, Princess. I've got it under control. I knew the meeting was coming up, but I haven't felt up to dealing with Mitsuki. I've got it all under control now."

Her cheek rubbed on his back as she nodded. "Okay. How are you feeling now?"

"Better. Hungry. I really want Thunder Burger, but don't think I could stomach it." He sulked. "I've been up for about an hour now—no fever."

"Oh," Sarada thought for a while, thinking about what she could cook that's fast and satisfying. "How about something different? I think I have ingredients for quesadillas somewhere there."

"I'll eat anything my princess fixes me." He chuckled. "I miss you. Really wanna kiss you, ya know."

That warmed Sarada's heart, making her nuzzle him some more. "I do, too. Don't work too hard, okay? I'll go fix up dinner."

"Don't worry, Sarada. I'm still taking it easy until tomorrow." Boruto promised her, voice quiet. "I'll be in here."

She kissed his back and gave Boruto a light squeeze before heading out of his office. Sarada missed hugging and kissing him, too. It must have been even harder for Boruto since he actively tried to stay away from her in order for Sarada and their baby not to catch what he had. It was best for all of them, but she hoped he would get better already so things could go back to normal.

Fixing up some chicken quesadillas, Sarada did her best to finish up as fast as she could, mouth-watering at the sight and smell of it. She had barely eaten all day, too… Boruto couldn't know that. The stress of it all just didn't make her hungry, and besides, she slept most of the day. After placing it in plates and setting the table, she called Boruto to have dinner with her, happy she didn't need a mask anymore with him around.

Sarada took her usual seat, already loading her plate, as well as Boruto's.

"It smells almost as good as you, Princess. I'm starving." Boruto grinned at her, cheeks still colored naturally without the added tint of pink from the fever. "Thank you."

"Me too," She admitted and grinned at him. "Eat up!"

"Yes ma'am." He laughed as he stared dreamily at the quesadillas. After having a few bites, he peeked at her. "How have you been feeling? I'm sorry I haven't been taking care of you."

"I'm good, Boruto. Don't worry about me." Sarada said in between bites. "I was able to work and nap."

He nodded, swallowing his current bite before asking, "Eating well? No nausea?"

"I'm… eating now." Sarada averted her gaze. She had breakfast, but nothing in between. "No nausea, I'm okay."

"Now? I know that. I can see that. What about today? I have a sinking feeling that you haven't been eating properly."

"I… had breakfast. And slept." Sarada felt the heat rising to her cheeks. This was bad. If Boruto found out she skipped lunch he would be angry.

" _Breakfast?"_ He quipped. "Sarada, you can't skip meals. You haven't slept _that_ much."

"Yes, I have!" Sarada argued. "I've slept nearly half the day today." And that was the truth… thanks to the body pillow. "I've been sleeping a lot better lately."

"Oh, you have huh?" Boruto grumbled, mood souring further. He wasn't even eating anymore.

She blinked at him, brows furrowing together. "Don't you want me to sleep well?" she asked quietly, eyes turning to his food. "You're not eating. You need to for your medicine."

"Of course I want you to, but I'm wounded, okay? You sleep better with the pillow than you do with me and I hate it." He sighed deeply. "I'm full now."

Sarada stopped and thought about that for a moment. She didn't sleep better with the pillow, for sure she missed having Boruto as her pillow. But it was a nice stand-in while he was sick. "I like sleeping with you better," she muttered. "I want you to get better so we can go back to normal."

"I know… me too. I'm sorry I've been such a headache lately." He looked over at her, pouting as he reached over to rub her back. "I really can't wait to make it up to you."

Sarada shook her head and held his hand. "You don't have to. I just want you to get better and that's enough for me."

"I know, Sarada. But I'll do it anyway." He said with a sly smile. "I'll spoil you rotten."

Oh, she knew that look, and it made her smile. "I'm sure you will. But right now, you can start spoiling me by finishing everything on your plate and taking your medicine." There was still a lot, around two pieces and a half-eaten quesadilla. He would be stuffed, but that's what she wanted. "If you still don't have a fever by tomorrow, I'll call Mama to give you a checkup again."

"Fine." He chuckled, returning to his food. "I'm feeling great. I don't really think I'll need to see her again… she may try to give me another shot."

Sarada laughed and took another bite of her food. "Or she could tell me we can sleep together again." She smiled slyly at him. "I think that's what I want to hear, don't you agree?"

"Ah. I'll be away in the morning. Have her come around one tomorrow. I need to hear that too."

"What?" Sarada put her fork down. "What do you mean you'll be away in the morning?" Even if his fever stopped, it didn't mean he could go around working right away.

Boruto finished his food and then groaned, having had a little too much. "I have a meeting. It should only take about three hours or so."

"But you aren't fully healed or cleared yet." Sarada couldn't understand. Yes, the meeting was important. But what if he got a fever in the middle of the meeting? "Why not delay your meeting to tomorrow and have mama clear you first?"

"This man would drop us if I dared to reschedule—even for a later hour. I can't risk it. I'll be fine."

"But…" if it were her, she would do the same thing. But this was her fiancée and she wanted him to get better. "What if you get sick again?" That means another night of no cuddling. Another day of no kisses.

Boruto smiled his best smile at her, blue eyes softening on her. "I'm fine, Princess. I have to take care of this, he's a very important client. I have a _lot_ of money riding on this."

"It doesn't really mean anything if you stay sick," Sarada huffed. Boruto always did so much for her and she knew he was doing this for her, _again_. "I'll stay at home and wait for you, then."

"That's my girl." He grinned and blew her a kiss as he got up, gathering his dishes. "I'll take care of the cleanup."

"Okay," Sarada followed him into the kitchen and clung on to his back while he washed. She sighed and held on a little tighter, really missing him. "Please get better," she whispered.

"I will. I'm never getting sick again." He laughed softly. "I'm glad you miss me as much as I miss you."

"I really do," she closed her eyes and whined. It was a lot harder than she thought. He was only sleeping in a separate room but Sarada felt like they haven't seen each other in weeks. "Imagine if you really did leave. I don't know how I would cope."

Boruto stopped his washing and turned around to face her, paying no mind to his wet hands. "You _never_ need to worry about that. Don't even let the thought cross your mind. I'm not going anywhere."

Sarada looked at him with wide eyes and then smiled. Coming up to her tiptoes to kiss his jaw. "I know you won't. But I still wouldn't know how to cope if you did. Like, even for a business trip."

"You think I'd leave without you? Ha!" Boruto snorted and buried his face in her neck. "Anywhere I go for more than a few hours, you and Ita-kun come too."

That made her laugh. "I'm pregnant. I'm not supposed to be traveling too much." He really was silly, but she appreciated the thought. Sarada would say she would be okay without him for a few days but she knew she would be sulking the entire time that he actually left her—even if it was for work.

Boruto kissed her neck a few times, unable to help how he lingered. He'd been without her for far too long. "No traveling. No leaving my princess. Ever."

A light moan escaped her lips and she leaned her head away to give him better access. She missed being touched by him, and as much as she didn't want him to stop, Sarada placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away. "Boruto… you're still sick."

"I just want to kiss you. Here is fine, as long as it's not your lips…" his arms wrapped around her, hands still damp from the dishwater. Boruto pulled her closer, ignoring her protests to continue kissing her neck.

Her breathy moans filled the kitchen, and Sarada was starting to feel so hot all over. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. But knowing Boruto, if she let him continue, they would end up kissing for real. "B-Borutooo…" Sarada whined. "Stop it."

Pulling his lips away with one final kiss, Boruto released her and sighed. "Sorry, Princess. I'll be good."

Collecting herself, Sarada sighed too and held his face in her hands. "If you're cleared tomorrow, we can both have what we want. Focus on getting better for now, okay?" She smiled. Even if she did want more.

Boruto nodded happily. "Okay, I'll be patient. But you better be prepared for when I'm cleared."

What he had in store made the pit of her belly twist. "I look forward to it, love."

It was an early night for the two of them. Sarada tucked him in bed after drinking his medicine, leaving Cookie in the room with Boruto. She did a little bit of work before curling up on the small bed and flinging her arm and leg over the body pillow. It was a lifesaver, letting her get some decent sleep without Boruto by her side. But it still didn't compare, and Sarada was excited to have her mama clear him so she could finally cuddle with him again.

.

.

.

"Sarada," Boruto murmured into her ear, rousing Sarada from her deep sleep and making her shiver as his lips glided around the shell of her ear. "Wake up, Princess."

"Mm…"

"I'm leaving for my meeting now." He told her, voice with a husky tinge to it.

"Nooo…" Sarada whined, groping around to find him. "Stay…"

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest and his hand laid on her hip, sliding up over her thin, silky gown, up her small belly bump and then settling over her left breast. "Come on now, I have something important to tell you."

Sarada groaned but opened her eyes halfway, a smile forming on her lips. "You're looking handsome today." She mumbled sleepily, appreciating waking up to see him in a suit. "What is it?"

"I haven't had a fever since yesterday." He smirked and gently pinched her tender nipple. "Guess who's getting cleared today."

She gasped and moaned at his touch, eyes closing immediately. "Boruto stop it." He really shouldn't be teasing if he had no intention to finish what he started. She pouted at him. "You better not get it again when mama gets here."

"Not a chance." He mused, pulling his hand back down over her belly before straightening himself and then adjusting his tie. "I'll be back a little after noon, okay? I love you, Princess."

"Have a good day," she smiled. "I love you too."

Boruto leaned back down to press a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Eat breakfast and make sure you have a snack. I'll bring you something for lunch."

She caught his tie and pulled him down so she could kiss his cheek, too. "Okay. Good luck with your meeting."

"Thanks, Princess. I'll see you soon." He smiled and left her then, letting himself out of the spare room quietly.

.

.

.

Sarada slept in a little more and made herself some coffee and oatmeal, opting to work in the dining room as she ate. The time flew by a lot faster than she thought and her mama came over for lunch. Usually, they would be chatting up a storm since she arrived, but Sarada got caught in a call and hid in Boruto's office while Sakura settled some paperwork outside. She felt a little guilty, leaving her mama hanging, but also for missing so much time from the office.

Sarada actually missed going to work and seeing her colleagues. If Boruto was all better, she would have to tell him to drive her to work again soon. Work was also picking up, and with Naruto wanting new products for promo items, Sarada knew she had to be more visible in the office. When her call ended, there were a few more emails she responded to before getting up to walk into the dining room.

Sakura was sitting at the head of the table, some medical files splayed around, as she listened to her own voice recording. She paused it and wrote something down on her notebook before looking up and smiling at Sarada. "Hello, darling. Done with work?"

"Mmm. For now, yes." Sarada took a seat next to her and looked at the medical notes. There were x-rays and drawings too. "Getting ready for an operation?"

Sakura hummed and started putting her notes away. "Yes, I have one next week. I've been studying what's the best way to go about it."

"You'll do great, mama," Sarada encouraged and paired it with a smile.

Her mother smiled sweetly and held her hand. "Thank you, Sarada." Putting the other papers away, she asked, "How have you and Boruto been?

For a moment, Sarada thought she should say they were alright, but it didn't sit well with her to lie to her mother. "I miss him…" she whispered. "I want him to get better."

"I'm sure you do," Sakura replied. "But he's been fever free, right?"

"Yes, but he still went out, because he needed to work." She felt like he was pushing himself because that's what Boruto did—always going above and beyond because it was ultimately for Sarada and their baby. "Because of me."

"It was his choice, Sarada. And even if he was still sick and hard to move, Boruto would still choose to work hard."

 _But I'm guilty._ She wanted to say it but couldn't. If Boruto were here and he heard her, he would be angry that Sarada would even think to feel this way.

"You don't need to feel bad that he does these things, Sarada," Sakura assured her. "He loves you very much and he knows it's his duty to take care of you two. You just do your part and that's already okay."

Her mama always knew what to say to reassure her and put her worrisome heart at ease. "Thank you, mama."

Sakura gave her a big grin. "Don't you worry about it, darling." She looked at her watch and sighed. "If only Boruto would get here sooner. I'm starting to get hungry. And the sooner I clear him, the sooner you two won't have to miss each other." She winked.

Her cheeks flooded with heat, knowing just what her mother was implying. Nothing ever flew by Sakura Uchiha.

Before anyone could say anything more, the little puppy by Sarada's feet ran to the door, excitedly barking and wagging her tail. The two women looked at the puppy, not knowing what was going on with her. Sarada looked out the window and spotted Boruto's car pulling in on the driveway, a smile forming on her face.

"Boruto's home." She got up on her feet and walked over to the door, holding on the doorknob and opened it. Cookie sounded like she was going to explode from excitement, but didn't dare step out of the door.

Sarada waited for her fiancé and watched him get out of his car. He was carrying a bag she recognized from Thunder Burger and a white box, seems to be in a good mood. He didn't look as if he felt sick at all and he was grinning cheekily at her as he walked up.

"Hey, sorry I took so long." He said as he stopped by her at the door, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek.

"It's okay." She leaned into his kiss and helped him with the white box. "Welcome home."

"Thank you, Princess." Boruto kisses her once more and then they walked over to join Sakura. "Thanks for coming… I hope you'll have good news for me today."

The doctor smiled at him and stood up. "I heard you've been fever-free since last night. That's already a good start." She ushered him to take a seat. When Boruto was settled, she pulled out her flashlight and asked him to open his mouth.

He didn't hesitate, quickly opening his mouth for her.

Sakura turned her flashlight on and looked at his throat, moving the light and her gaze around. "No more inflammation, too. Does your throat hurt?" She turned off the flashlight and put it away, taking the thermometer next and pointing it at his forehead.

"No, it actually hasn't bothered me since yesterday morning, and even then it just felt a little dry."

Sakura hummed and looked at the small screen. "Normal temperature, too. Have you been experiencing any body pains since last night?"

Boruto shook his head. "No, but I've barely been sleeping since Sarada was stolen from me." He pouted.

Sarada rolled her eyes at him and scoffed. "Don't listen to him, Mama. He's been sleeping all day."

Sakura laughed and put her thermometer away. "Then I guess that shot worked. You're clear. But Sarada, you have to change your sheets and disinfect your room before you can stay there again."

"Oh… Thank goodness." Boruto groaned in relief. "That's easy, I'll take care of it." He glanced over at Sarada, blue eyes locking on her lips for just an instant.

Sarada sighed in relief. "Finally." She then turned her gaze over to Boruto, noticing the way he was looking at her. She knew that look. Sarada bit her lower lip and mouthed _later_.

The rejection made him sulk, face falling, and lips poking out further than ever before. He started unloading the food from the bag, trying to distract himself.

Sarada went to the kitchen to fetch some utensils and Sakura packed away her notes and other belongings. Once they were settled in their seats, the three of them spoke over lunch—mostly about Sakura's work and the operation she was working on. Sarada was used to her mom talking about the gory details, and she didn't mind listening as she ate. Though when her gaze flicked over to Boruto, it seemed he didn't share the same sentiment.

Sakura got a call from the hospital, leaving in a rush right after eating, again declining Boruto's inquiry on how much he had to pay for his check-up. The couple thanked Sakura again before walking her out to the front door and watching her drive away. As soon as she was out of sight, Sarada was swept into Boruto's arms, one arm under her knees and the other holding on to her back, and he was hurrying back inside with her.

Sarada squeaked, arm's wrapping around his neck in surprise. "Boruto! What are you doing?!"

"Getting you inside, what does it look like?" He laughed, barely taking the time to kick the front door closed behind them before he was kissing her.

The kiss surprised her, but she quickly melted into it and kissed him back. Eyes fluttering close and a soft moan escaping her lips. God. She missed this. Sarada missed Boruto and his kisses so much.

There was no holding back, Boruto's kisses becoming more urgent and intense by the second. He was showing her just how badly he'd missed it too. When he finally pulled away, he was breathless and walking slowly towards the stairs.

"I've got to get to work on that room because I can't wait anymore." He admitted, letting her down carefully once they reached the stairs. "You just wait here so I can take care of it."

Before he could leave, Sarada held on to his tie and pulled him back, going on her tiptoes to capture his lips in another kiss. There was no way she was waiting for him to clean up their room. She had been waiting for _days_. She pulled away and panted. "The guest room."

"I didn't want you to be uncomfortable… that bed is just… eh." He sighed and wound his arms around her waist, giving her a long and warm hug. "Okay yeah, I can't wait either. The guest room it is."

Sarada wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips. She had missed this, too. "Since the bed is smaller, we'll just have to be closer." She giggled.

"It doesn't matter where we are—good luck getting me off of you." Boruto teased her and they both laughed as they started up the stairs together.

Her heart felt so full and light. Finally, she has her Boruto back. Sarada held on to his hand and followed him up the stairs, and down the hall, barely containing herself from throwing herself into his arms, taking another kiss from his lips. He all but dragged her to the bed, his lips parting just so his tongue could dart out and find hers. Sarada eagerly let her tongue slide on to his, relishing the taste and feel of him in her mouth.

It was good to have her Boruto back. She knew he would more than make up for the time they had lost.


	53. Ghosts of the Past

With their big client secured, things were looking great on the business side of Boruto's life—not that _everything_ in his life didn't seem to be looking up lately. Aside from the sickness, everything in Boruto's life was just falling into place. He had his princess now, they had a baby on the way and thanks to those two things, he had made some major and important changes in his life. Boruto was finally living free, living right and he was happy. Maybe he wasn't perfect and he did mess up a lot, but that didn't mean he wouldn't aim to be the best man he could possibly be.

For Sarada. For Ita-kun. For himself.

Boruto had taken an extra day off for himself, just to dedicate every second to Sarada. There was a lot of making up for him to do after being sick for so long and being separated from her. It wasn't easy, but they made it through it and he had thoroughly enjoyed spoiling her since getting better and having Sakura clear him. For nearly two days, he spent his time with her but then he finally forced himself to return to work.

It was still a good day and he was more texting Sarada than actually doing any work anyway. There wasn't much for him to do, as his part, for now, had been taken care of. The money was supplied on his part, endorsed by their client and now he just had to wait before he would see a huge profit. Easy money, the same he'd always been passionate about.

Hōki was the busiest it seemed since it was his job to document everything—the kind of thing Boruto hated most of all. He didn't have time for such things when he could better spend his time texting suggestive emojis to his fiancée. Even now, he was smirking darkly as he typed out a string of tongue emojis in reply to her rolling her eyes at him. She may have talked big through emoji text, but once he was home she would be singing a different tune.

"Boruto, shouldn't we go to your house to celebrate?" Mitsuki spun around on the computer chair, a smile on his face. "We've landed the client and didn't even stop to get a drink."

"What?" Boruto asked, only half-listening as he examined all the sweat emojis Sarada had just sent him. He arched a brow and went with the eggplant in reply.

"Dinner, at your house, tonight." Mitsuki stood from the chair and stretched. "Maybe my sugar plum is free to come, too." The smile on his face only widened, pulling his phone out and not even waiting for Boruto to confirm.

After sending the text, Boruto forced his gaze over to Mitsuki and frowned. "We're having dinner at my place?" This was news to him, and Sarada surely wasn't aware.

"Yes!" Mitsuki chirped. "Hōki, you should come, too. Boruto's fiancée cooks good food."

"My princess cooks the _best_ food." The blonde corrected him. "Sure, I guess it's fine. I'm not one to brag or anything but I would love to show off my house, my girl, and her cooking all in one go."

"I didn't know you were engaged." Hōki turned away from the laptop and grinned. "I guess not all of us can be so lucky."

"Oh, they weren't, but she's pregnant now, too." Mitsuki supplied, as he kept texting on his phone, texting his girl.

"Oh, damn. Knocked up and engaged, huh?" Hōki snickered. "Could have been me a few years ago."

"What can I say," Boruto smiled tightly. "I'm one lucky bastard. Could've been? What happened?"

He let out a loud sigh and stood from his chair. "I had a long time girlfriend back in uni. Things were getting pretty serious, and she graduated before I did. When I found a job in Suna, I asked her to come and move with me but she didn't want to." He shrugged. "I guess she just loved her job here more than me."

Mitsuki raised a brow. "That doesn't sound very… nice."

"It's in the past but, doesn't it work both ways? Couldn't you find work where she was? I mean, you're not in Suna anymore… what happened there?"

"It wasn't the job for me there, it took me too long to realize." Hōki shrugged. "She was also like, really responsible. The kind who could get work anywhere because her whole university life was about making her resume look good, you know? Student council, volunteer work, didn't party. That kinda stuff."

Boruto hummed thoughtfully, lips tugging at the corners before he began chuckling quietly. "Sounds like my type of girl."

Hoki laughed. "Oh, bro. Believe me, not my ex."

Mitsuki snickered. "Maybe your type _now._ But back in uni, Boruto wasn't half as picky."

"Bastard," Boruto scoffed. "I fucked around a lot so of course it didn't matter. Most of those girls I never saw more than once anyway. Settling down is a whole other story. You know how I really felt back then… and how I feel now."

"Yes, you're right." Mitsuki grinned. "I can pick up some cake, and sugar plum before heading over. She's free and excited to see you two again."

"Oh, you've already met. I guess I'll be out of place without a girl, then." Hōki laughed nervously.

"Ah, don't worry about that," Boruto told him, attention returning to his phone as he received another text. "I've been living the single life until recently. There's nothing wrong with it." But being not single was far better, even just receiving emoji texts from Sarada just made his heart flutter and had him melting on the spot.

"Yeah, I guess. Dating is really fun, and keeps things interesting, though I do miss having a one and only."

"Sounds like you're a devoted partner to the right person," Mitsuki commented.

"Oh, for sure. I'd never cheat or anything like that on the right girl." Hōki nodded.

It wasn't Boruto's place to say anything or comment on Hōki's words, but he didn't like the way that sounded. It wasn't like Boruto had ever been exclusively dating any one girl back in his university days, so he slept around a lot. He never cheated and would never either. He knew it best just to keep his mouth shut because if he spoke his mind and Hōki dared to clap back, things wouldn't be pretty.

Boruto got up from his seat and stretched. "Well, I'm out. Gonna go pick up something sweet for my princess and give her a heads up for dinner. See you guys around seven?"

"Yes, seven is fine," Mitsuki replied. "Tell her I said hi. If she can bake cookies, I'm sure sugar plum would love it."

"I'll mention it if she hasn't had to work too hard today. I can't have her overdoing it. She is a workaholic, ya know?"

No way would he allow his princess to suffer through an aching back or swollen feet. She deserved only to be pampered.

Leaving Mitsuki's, Boruto decided instead of going straight home, he would head to Ichiraku's early. He certainly missed seeing Sarada at work, so he was looking forward to it. On his way, he stopped by and bought her a beautiful arrangement of red roses that were set in a pearl-pink vase with a red bow tied around it. He was sure she would love it, and the red teddy bear he bought to go with it. While he was there, Boruto ordered a yellow arrangement of sunflowers, roses, and daisies for Himawari and had it sent to her as well, then he headed over to Ichiraku.

Every time he showed up early enough for him to run into other people, he was always stopped and spoken to. Today was no different. They all seemed happy to see him, but today he was getting more cheeky looks than usual. Chocho and Inojin were the worst, but Boruto has grown used to them over time. Of course, they loved seeing him show up early to visit Sarada, and for him to be bearing gifts? It would give them something to talk about over the weekend.

Shikadai was the only one he actually stopped walking to speak with properly. They just happened to cross paths in the hallway and Shikadai grinned at him, raising his hand in a wave while Boruto smiled back. They may not have spoken to each other on a regular basis, but Boruto still considered Shikadai one of his closest friends. They had a lot of memories together.

"Yo, Shikadai. Good to see you."

"You as well, Boruto." He hummed. "And with so many gifts for Sarada… nice."

Boruto shrugged, smile turning cockier. "Well I am pretty nice, I guess." He really just wanted to make his princess smile, because she deserved that. She was always working so hard and doing so much for him.

"You are." Shikadai laughed. "Does she know you're coming?"

"Nope," Boruto announced proudly. "Don't worry, I didn't come to steal her early. I'm just going to visit."

"Right. Don't have too much fun."

The blonde raised his brows as if he was considering it and then they both laughed before going their separate ways. Once Boruto arrived at her office, he met himself in without knocking and was surprised and disappointed to find she wasn't alone—though he didn't let either show on the outside.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He smiled politely at the stranger, a young girl who was seated across from Sarada. But his attention was quickly moved to his princess. She may have been taken aback by his sudden appearance and pouting because she wanted to yell at him but couldn't because she had someone else in the room and he had her roses and a teddy bear. "I didn't realize you'd be meeting with anyone so late."

Technically, it wasn't late. It was only four-thirty. However, it was still late for meetings with any _one_ individual. Boruto didn't recognize the girl at all, but she was petite and cute, having a very youthful appearance. While Sarada was rendered speechless momentarily, Boruto brought over the roses and placed them on the side of her desk that was free and then teasingly pressed the bear's nose to her cheek. Since she hadn't scolded him yet, he bent over to kiss the top of her head.

"I should've told you I was coming… but I wanted to surprise you."

Sarada sighed and smiled. "Well, I am surprised… and happy to see you." She then turned to the young lady who sat in front of her desk. "This is Tsubaki Kurogane. She will be our brand's face for the summer line. Tsubaki, this is my fiancée, Boruto Uzumaki."

"Ooh, an actress, right?" He didn't recognize her face, but he was familiar with her name and for good reason. "You played the masked samurai girl in When There's Wind, right?" It was a horror that had released only a month or so ago. "You were creepy as hell."

"Yes, that was me." The girl replied proudly. "I'm always happy to meet horror fans!"

Sarada turned her face away but watched as Boruto and Tsubaki talked about horror films and eerie scenes that they loved.

"Well nobody is as big of a fan as I am, just ask my princess here! I can't get enough. Will you be filming any more coming up… any projects on the low you can tell me about?" He wiggled his brows, leaning over the desk excitedly.

The actress looked ready to blurt out her next project but covered her mouth with her hands. "I can't tell you that—not yet, at least." She was so small, her wide apologetic eyes were enough to tell Boruto how sorry she was she couldn't share the information. "Next month, Ninflix will be out with an announcement, though."

"Damn it, whyyyy?!" Boruto sulked, wrapping his arms around Sarada and hugging her tight. "It's not fair." He whined, but he understood she was bound legally and truly couldn't tell him anything, or she probably would. "A whole month? The anticipation is already eating me alive… it's only been five seconds!"

"Boruto," Sarada gave him a look but smiled. "Darling, could you give us ten more minutes? I just want to wrap up with Tsubaki."

"Fine." He sighed as he released her and backed off. "At least get me an autograph." He mumbled on his way to the door. "I'll go visit dad… text me when you're finished."

"We can take a photo later!" The actress grinned. "I think I'll be here often, anyway, maybe you can know sooner."

Boruto paused at the door and turned to beam at her. "Don't tease me now." He winked at her and then waved at Sarada before leaving the office. It was so different now, exactly the same and yet not. The pictures were different, instead of him and Himawari, it was him and Sarada and the whole room smelled just like her. He loved that. But he also loved how their room at home was—the way both of their scents mingled together. Still, he believed Sarada smelled much better than him.

When Boruto arrived at his father's office, he opened the door and let himself in without knocking. He was never one for knocking at work and that wasn't going to change just because he wasn't working for him anymore. He wasn't surprised to find Konohamaru there, kicked back on one side of the desk with his feet resting on it while Naruto was in a similar position on the other side.

"Do you two ever do anything?" He huffed as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"It's almost five, son." Naruto was on his phone, unbothered that his son just barged into his room. "I'm just waiting for the car to come around."

Konohamaru looked at Boruto and grinned. "I could ask you the same thing. It's too early."

Clicking his tongue, Boruto walked over and smacked Konohamaru's feet off the desk so he could sit. "I've been finished with my work. I'm finally doing what I want, ya know? I just move money and meet with people on occasion."

"And taking care of Sarada." The manager smirked. "How is that going for you, by the way? I heard you got sick."

"Don't remind me." He rolled his eyes. "It was awful. Sarada and Ita-kun are well though. That's all that matters."

"Ita-kun isn't even born yet and you're already talking that way. Proud of you, Boruto." Naruto put his phone down and stood. "I need to leave, you can take my office while you wait for Sarada."

Turning to look at him, Boruto stood to his feet. "Well, I didn't say I was waiting for her, but okay. I'm totally not doing any work though."

"You don't have to." Naruto laughed and walked by him, tapping his shoulder before leaving the room.

Knowing if he took his father's seat and dared to glimpse at his computer, he would definitely end up working, Boruto kept himself rooted to the spot and looked back at Konohamaru. "What's up with you? Seems like you and Aunt Hanabi have disappeared."

" _Us?_ " Konohamaru pouted. "It's _you._ We never even had that dinner you said you would invite us to."

"Did I say that?" Boruto asked, pondering it.

"Yes you did!" Konohamaru glared. "I couldn't even bring it up with Sarada because I was talking to you."

Boruto frowned, feeling guilty. So much had been happening recently, he was forgetting a lot. It was just, Sarada and their baby were his priorities and that's how it should be. It wasn't going to change, but he figured since they were already having guests for dinner, it wouldn't hurt to have a couple more.

"Well, I secured a big client and the guys are coming over for dinner and drinks to celebrate. Why don't you two come to join us too?" He offered, smiling. "I do miss you guys."

Although he was still pouting, the older man pulled his phone out. "I'll ask Hanabi if she's free. When is it?"

"Tonight. At seven."

" _Tonight?!_ " Konohamaru jumped up and looked at his watch. "Shit, it's already five. I have to pick her up. We'll be there, text me what booze you want, it's on me!" He said as he left the office in a hurry.

Shaking his head, Boruto pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent him a text, asking for his favorite sake since he offered. As soon as he sent the text, he received one from Sarada that she was finished and grinned as he left Naruto's office to return to her. Tsubaki was still there, both her and Sarada now standing next to each other as they spoke. Boruto couldn't help but gawk at how short the actress was. Her head just reached his chest. Barely.

"I get a picture and autograph?" He beamed at her, hurrying to stand next to the actress but once he did, a sweeping feeling of familiarity washed over him.

When he first saw her, he didn't feel it, didn't _see_ it. But standing so close to her, seeing how slim and short she was. Those eyes or hers as well, the color was so similar. Not the same. Not as pure. Not as beautiful, but definitely close in color. Even their hair color was almost identical—only Tsubaki wore hers in a ponytail and had cropped bangs.

Boruto felt his heart stutter to a halt, felt the blood drain from his face, and couldn't help but back up a few steps to distance himself from her. The girl wasn't Nyoko. In fact, she was very, very different. But it was eerie how similar they were and it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair for him to have to look at anyone who could remind him of her to such an extent. It wasn't fair that she wasn't here anymore.

The actress didn't turn around to fully face him but did look back. Though she didn't say a word.

Sarada moved closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Boruto." Her voice was low, dark eyes shining with concern.

Sarada's voice and touch were quick to ground him and Boruto looked at her with sad blue eyes, swallowing hard. "I'm okay." He whispered, even if he wasn't so certain.

She stroked his cheek for a moment before looking back at Tsubaki. "Sorry, Tsubaki. Maybe we can have a photo another time. Boruto's feeling a little… warm."

The actress didn't comment on it, only wishing he would feel better and that her agent would be in touch with Sarada soon. The director called for Inojin to walk Tsubaki out, and he quickly complied.

As soon as Tsubaki left her office, Sarada faced Boruto again, wrapping her arms around his middle. "Are you really okay?"

Boruto slowly wound his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. For a moment, he didn't say anything, he just held her tightly and breathed her in. When he finally found his voice, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Her eyes softened, and she began to rub his back in a comforting up and down motion. "It's okay, you don't have to be sorry about it." Sarada kept on holding him and rubbing his back. "I'm here for you."

"I know. I love you." He breathed, giving her a light squeeze and staying right where he was. "Thank you, Sarada." It truly meant so much to him that she cares so much, that she understood and didn't judge him. She just stayed by his side and helped keep him on his feet.

"I love you, too." Sarada squeezed him back and looked over at her desk, his gifts still right there. "Thank you for the flowers. I love them."

The distraction was welcome and had him smiling at her neck. "I just wanted to make you smile. I missed you today."

"You succeeded." She giggled. "I missed you, too. Even if you kept sending me texts."

"Ah, that reminds me." He leaned back and smiled at her, finally forgetting what had just been plaguing him. "We will have to hold off until a little later tonight unless you want an office quickie. We're having dinner guests."

"What?" She pouted, looking up at him. "Who's coming?"

"Big bro and Aunt Hanabi are coming, but it started from Mitsuki wanting to celebrate so him and the assistant too."

"Oh," Sarada blinked. "Is that why Sumire asked me what cake I wanted? Is she coming, too?"

"Ah, I almost forgot. Mitsuki did mention his sugar plum." Boruto laughed. "I'll have a drink or two, but I won't get drunk or anything. I promise."

"Oh my god. They're sticking with that pet name?" Sarada laughed. "It sounds like I have a lot of cooking to do, then." She then sighed and pulled away from him. "I guess I'll just have to wait until later."

Boruto sulked at the loss and at the idea of both of them having to wait. "I really don't mind putting your office to use. I mean… it wouldn't be the first time. Or, we could even fuck in dad's office. Nobody would dare walk in on us."

Sarada pressed her thighs together, a light blush coming to her cheeks. "B-but it's still early… and we need to stop by the grocery."

"Hence the 'quickie' part." He smirked. "Bet I could make you come in record time."

She pouted at that. Even if she wanted to say he was being annoyingly cocky, there was no doubt he could. "You seriously want people to hear us, don't you?"

"If that's all you're worried about, I could give you something to keep you quiet," Boruto suggested, licking his lips tauntingly.

Sarada's face turned a deeper shade of red. "Wh-what?"

Boruto laughed softly and pressed his lips to her ear. "I'm talking about my dick, and you sucking it." He mused and then poked his tongue out to glide it around the shell of her ear.

His tongue left her shivering, a quiet moan escaping her throat. "That could work."

"Here, or in dad's office? It's all empty… up to you, whatever you want, Princess."

She bit her lower lip before answering, "Naruto's."

It greatly pleased Boruto to make both of their fantasies reality. He was quick to take her hand and guide her down to his father's office where they made good on getting off together quickly, just as they planned. They both put their mouths to work, but later that night after their dinner guests went home, Boruto was sure they'd go for the main event.

Going by the grocery store was unavoidable. After breaking in Naruto's office, Boruto helped Sarada pack up her things and even take her flowers because she refused to leave them behind, and then they left the office early. Sarada was panicking about dinner, but Boruto tried his best to keep her calm and tell her not to worry so much. He didn't mean for this to turn into work for her, but it seemed that was what has happened.

They were shopping for almost half an hour before heading home where Sarada went straight to the kitchen and waited for Boruto to carry in their bags. He didn't want her carrying them, and she didn't bother arguing with him because he wouldn't have let it go. After he helped unload everything, Sarada was waving him off, wanting to get rid of him rather than have him help, which he sulked about.

"Let me help you, Princess. Just tell me what to do."

"Could you chop these vegetables for me?" Usually, Sarada would argue and want to do all the cooking, but not when she was expecting five people coming over in an hour. "I'll work on the chicken while you do that."

"Got it!" He nodded, walking over and putting the vegetables in the sink to rinse first. "Please don't stress, Princess. It's not good for you or Ita-kun. I can do all the cooking if you need me to."

"I'm not stressing," she lied blatantly and turned her back on him to get the chicken ready.

Recognizing hormones when they showed up, Boruto kept his mouth shut and focused on the vegetables, not wanting to get into trouble or end up sleeping on the couch. It was his fault anyway for springing this on her so last minute, but he would definitely make it up to her.

Luckily, the meal she'd chosen for dinner wasn't difficult to prepare and was nearly finished over half an hour later. It would be ready before their guests arrived and while Sarada changed into something more comfortable, Boruto set the table. He'd already changed himself after finishing the vegetables, getting out of his suit and into jeans and a T-shirt instead.

When Sarada returned, she had changed into a simple, pale yellow cotton dress and white flats. She'd even changed her hair into a loose, side braid and looked so cute Boruto couldn't handle it. He cooed at her, excitedly rushing over to embrace her warmly.

"Ah, you're so cute, Sarada. And you're going to marry me? Really? Why?"

She giggled and walked over to him, coming up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek before responding, "Because… I love you."

Finally, his arms wrapped around her waist and he lifted her up, kissing her full on her lips. "Tell me like you mean it."

"I love you," She repeated, before kissing his lips again. As if once wasn't enough, she said it again, softer this time. "I love you."

"My heart… it just fucking melted. Help." Boruto grinned and they both laughed before kissing again just as someone cleared their throat next to them.

Sarada startled and held on to Boruto tighter, but relaxed as soon as she saw who it was. "Oh, Mitsuki. I didn't know you were already here."

"And me." Sumire popped up from behind him, holding on to a gold-colored box. "Thank you for the invite, we brought cake!"

Boruto wasn't happy to be interrupted in the middle of such a sweet kiss from his princess, but he managed to keep a smile on his face and not yell at Mitsuki for not knocking. Again. "Welcome. I'll take the cake." He said, holding his hands out for it.

Sumire handed him the cake, while Sarada ushered her and Mitsuki to the living room, where Cookie had been playing in. She was happy to pick her up and put her on Sumire's lap to keep them company before going back to the kitchen to help Boruto.

As he set the cake on the counter, he looked over at her with a soft smile and then turned around to pull out some plates for it. "How are you feeling now?" He asked, setting the plates next to the cake for easy grabbing later after dinner. "I am sorry about this. It was all so sudden."

"I'm not stressing," she stuck her tongue out at him and giggled. "It's okay. Having guests once in a while is pretty nice, and we haven't seen Konoahamru and Hanabi in a while."

"True. I thought so too. But really, it's all Mitsuki's fault. Feel free to ask me to kick his ass and I will."

"Boruto!" Sarada chided him but laughed. "I know you and Mitsuki have been friends for a long time. I want to get to know him more, too."

Boruto hummed, smiling at her. "Mitsuki is… Mitsuki. But he's my closest friend. He's been with me through the good and the bad, even more than Shikadai. I was stuck with his ass as a roommate, so… you can only imagine."

"Oh, I can imagine." Sarada grinned and leaned closer to him to whisper, "Sumire looks really sweet but she's also feisty."

"Ew, girl drama." He joked, even going as far as wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Sarada scoffed and hit his chest lightly. "Stop being so mean. Sumire's a good roommate." She picked up the utensils and asked, "You mentioned you had an assistant coming too, right?" Before he could even reply, she was picking up another pair of utensils.

"Ah, Hōki. He should be here soon."

The sound of metal clattering on the marble counter and the floor filled the kitchen, even making Sumire and Mitsuki look in their direction all the way from the living room. "Are you alright? Do you need help?" Sumire called.

Sarada only stared at the forks for a moment before quickly picking them up again. "I-I'm fine. It slipped."

"Sarada?" Boruto frowned, noticing a slight tremble in her hands. He took them in his own after taking the utensils and setting them aside for the moment. "What's the matter?"

"I spaced out, I'm fine," she muttered, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Sarada," he wanted to argue because it was obvious something was bothering her, but the doorbell rang before he could.

"I'll get it!" Mitsuki called and Boruto only half-rolled his eyes. Mitsuki was always at home so long as Boruto was around, but he didn't _really_ mind as long as he didn't go too far.

"Princess, look at me." He began again. When Sarada looked in his general direction without meeting his gaze, he went on, "I'll tell everyone to leave and forget this dinner if you don't want to deal with it. All you have to do is give me the word."

"No, don't do that." Sarada finally looked at him and held on to his upper arms. There were other voices that came from the living room, and she recognized Konohamaru's right away. "They're already here, let's just have dinner and celebrate your success." Although she smiled at him, Boruto wasn't fully convinced it was genuine.

"Can I help?" Sumire walked into the kitchen, approaching the two of them.

Sarada pulled away from Boruto and looked at her friend. "Yes, please. I need help transferring the food to the serving platters, please."

Sumire passed Boruto and got to work, taking the tongs and a spatula to help Sarada transfer the food. They were speaking quietly amongst themselves and although it was too low to hear, he was sure they weren't talking about the weather.

Deciding to let it go, for now, Boruto left them to their work and walked into the living room to greet everyone. Hanabi was the first to reach him, the woman came in charging until she reached him and threw her arms around his neck.

He laughed and hugged her back while she squealed in his ear about how happy she was to come to dinner. "Well, we can't ever eat if you strangle me." He teased and she let go, laughing. "Big bro." Boruto nodded at Konohamaru and then spotted Hōki behind him, speaking to Mitsuki. "Dinner is ready, so we can all move to the dining room."

"Alright." Mitsuki nodded. The rest of them flocked to the dining room, even their little puppy following suit.

Sumire came out of the kitchen first, holding on to the chicken. Her smile instantly faded once her gaze saw a new face sitting next to her boyfriend. "What—Hōki, what are you doing here?!"

"You know each other?" Mitsuki asked and looked at Hōki. "How do you know each other?"

Hōki gaped for a moment before laughing nervously. "We… we went to the same university. It's been a long time, Sumire." Although he was grinning, the girl didn't bother returning it.

The girl put the food down on the edge of the table, her brows creasing. "I can't believe you. Why would you come here? This is low, even for you!"

"Hey, hey." Konohamaru held his hands up. "Let's all calm down here, okay?" He then looked at Hōki, "Sorry, who are you again?"

"I—I work with Mitsuki. I'm sorry, Sumire and I used to go to the same school and we didn't really… end on good terms. I'm sorry about that," He said to her.

"Were you together?" Mitsuki asked bluntly.

"Oh my god, ew, _no!_ " Sumire denied. "He was with Sarada."

"Who called me?" Sarada came walking out, holding on to a pitcher of juice. "What's going on, I thought I heard you yelling." She asked her friend, not yet looking at the people sitting at the table.

Boruto has been listening silently, curiosity piqued at Sumire's reaction to seeing Hōki. He was just a neutral party until she mentioned that last bit and Boruto felt his skin crawl and his blood boil. He wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but he knew he was going to snap any given moment.

"I'm sorry. Sumire, care to elaborate?" Boruto asked, his eyes locked on the man sitting at the table, so pale and stricken with shock and dare to lay his eyes on his princess.

Now that the poor girl had all eyes on her, she squirmed, not knowing what to say. Sarada tipped her head to the side, even laughing lightly when she asked, "What's wrong?"

Sumire turned her gaze to Hōki, making Sarada follow her gaze. "Your ex works with Boruto."

Once Sarada finally saw him, her lips parted and a gasp escaped her. The liquid in the pitcher started to spill, as her hands were shaking. As soon as the juice spilled on her hand, Sarada got a hold of herself and put the pitcher on the table, quickly excusing herself and going back into the kitchen.

Before going after Sarada, Sumire glared at Hōki one more time and hurried to her friend.

The whole table was silent, and Konohamaru looked at the man who sat between him and Mitsuki. "I'm guessing it wasn't a good break up—ow!" Hanabi elbowed him and gave him a hard stare.

"Then that girl you were talking about earlier," Mitsuki faced Hōki and continued, "It was Sarada?"

Hanabi turned to face her nephew, not fully understanding what was going on but she knew that look on his face. " _Boruto_ ," She warned. "Calm down."

Boruto heard his aunt, but he ignored her. There was a burning fury storming inside of him, one that he knew was dangerous, but he couldn't be bothered to care. He didn't need to hear anything else to know that Hōki was the one—he was the ex who broke Sarada's heart. He was a worthless piece of shit who had the audacity to be sitting at his dinner table. Boruto placed his hands on the table and slowly got to his feet, laughing at the irony of the situation, though there was no humor to it.

Hōki stood from his seat as well, looking pale as a sheet and ready to run. Mitsuki, however, was quick to rise and hold on to his shoulders, keeping him in place.

"I'm not an expert in manners, but I know it's rude to leave dinner without asking the host first." Mitsuki grinned and looked at Boruto. "What do you want to do, Boruto? You wanna…" he nudged his head towards Hōki, insinuating something wildly unpleasant and illegal.

"Gentlemen, please." Konohamaru looked between Boruto and Hōki and Mitsuki. "Let's not get violent here."

"Stop suggesting it!" Hanabi scolded her husband.

"I didn't!" Konahamaru denied.

Boruto pushed his chair back roughly and locked eyes with Hōki. "So it was you? You're the asshole? The fucking idiot that broke her heart? It was _my_ Sarada that you were talking about today?" Boruto laughed again because he just couldn't believe it. And he thought _he_ was stupid. "Just let him go, Mitsuki. Get the fuck out of my house."

Mitsuki let on hand fall from his shoulder but tapped him once before whispering, "Don't come to work tomorrow."

Hōki stiffened and nodded before dashing for the door.

Mitsuki still had a smile on his face as he sat. "I don't know everything that happened but I think you were too soft, Boruto."

"Yeah." Boruto thought so too, but he had Sarada to think of, and Ita-kun and going to jail for murder just wouldn't do.

He hadn't been this angry in a long time, he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins—so much that he was trembling. He would probably regret not beating Hōki senseless for the rest of his life, but there was a part of him that was thankful. Hōki being the idiot that he was had left Sarada available for him and now, she was his and would be forever.

But then again… that bastard had trampled on Sarada's heart and had shamelessly dragged her name through the mud and there was no way in hell he could let him get away with it.

"Oi! Wait a damn minute!" Boruto bolted from the dining room, knowing Hōki couldn't have gotten far. When he slammed open the front door, he saw him just reaching his car. "Bastard! Get back here!"

He stopped for a moment but quickly got in the car, slamming his door shut and starting the engine.

Mitsuki had risen from the dining table and joined Boruto by the front door, ready to chase after Hōki if that was what Boruto wanted to do. Hanabi had finally had enough, and marched towards her nephew, leaving her husband sitting alone for a few seconds before he followed suit.

Boruto was ready to run after the other man, even chase him down with his car if need be, but Hanabi reached him first and took hold of him by a deadly pinch to his ear, pulling him down until his face was level with hers and then dragging him back inside.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Boruto groaned, trying to move with her to lessen the pain. "Let me go, he's getting away!"

"Sit down, Boruto!" Hanabi pulled his ear down until he had no choice but to sit on the couch. "You're chasing after the wrong person."

"He's the one! And you're letting him escape!"

There was silence in the room. Mitsuki looked at Boruto, and so did Konohamaru. Hanabi only rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "You're wrong. The one for you is right there." She pointed towards the kitchen.

 _Sarada._ Boruto hadn't even thought about how she must be feeling. His face fell even further as he scrambled to his feet and hurried into the kitchen, finding Sumire comforting Sarada with a hug and soothing back rubs.

"I'll take it from here." He said, needing to be the one to tell her it was alright. To hold and reassure her. To promise her that nobody would ever hurt her like that again. To show her that what happened with Hōki didn't even matter because now she was here, with him and he loved her with all of his heart.

Sumire slowly let go of her hold from Sarada and gently turned her towards Boruto. She wasn't crying but definitely shaken up. As soon as she saw him, Sarada threw her arms around Boruto and whimpered, holding on tightly around his neck.

"I'm so sorry, Princess, I had no idea." He whispered at her ear, holding her close and placing a soft, lingering kiss to her cheek.

"No, I'm sorry. I thought I was over it," she whispered. "I just… I couldn't stand seeing him again."

"You should've never had to see his stupid face. Forget he ever existed. An asshole like him isn't worth being sad over." Boruto knew it was easier said than done. He knew that his words may have sounded harsh, but he also knew that Sarada would understand why he said what he said.

She nodded and hid her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." He sighed. "Your feelings are valid… he just doesn't deserve them is all. This is all my fault… I can't believe I let this happen." Yet again, he had fucked up and would have this to make up to her as well.

"It wasn't your fault, you didn't know it was him." Sarada wrapped her arms around him a little tighter. "Just hold me, please. Don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere, Princess. Maybe I should tell everyone to leave though."

"They can stay and eat, but I want to go to bed." Typical of her not to want to waste food.

Boruto sighed but didn't want her to feel any worse so he just scooped her up into his arms and began carrying her towards the stairs. "You have to eat, Sarada. Why don't you and I eat in bed together, just the two of us?"

"Okay," she whispered and kept her cheek pressed to his shoulder, not wanting to look at any of their guests when he passed them. "I ruined your celebration, I'm sorry."

"Don't even think that way. That's not true. I promise, okay? Don't worry about silly things like that. You're all that matters to me."

"Thank you, Boruto. I love you." Sarada peeled her cheek away from his shoulder to look at him and smile.

"I love you too." He returned her smile, giving her a chaste but heartfelt kiss as he reached the top of the stairs.

It was hard to believe that this had happened, that he had been blindly working with Hōki all this time and had even welcomed him to his home. It was something the blonde would regret forever and he would just have to accept it. No matter how much time it took, he would make Sarada forget all about the jerk. Slowly, day by day, but surely it would happen or at the very least, when she did have something that reminded her of him, she would laugh instead of becoming sad.

Boruto wanted to be the only man that mattered in her life, aside from her father and uncles and their son. Any past romantic relationships needed to be forgotten completely because they were meaningless aside from doing one good—bringing her to him. For that, he could only be grateful, but of course, he knew it would take time for Sarada to forget. She had moved on at least which was the most important for now.

Once he laid her in bed, Boruto kissed her forehead lovingly and then leaned back to smile at her. "I love you, Princess." He told her yet again because he couldn't say the words enough. She smiled back at him and he knew that he'd be able to keep her smiling. He knew he'd make this up to her and help her forget and he'd be glad to do so.


	54. Being With You

The events that happened earlier left Sarada restless. Boruto had finally fallen asleep a few hours ago, even when he insisted he would stay up with her if that was what she needed for the night. Things were highly emotional, and although she felt calmer now that she was in bed and watching her fiancée sleep, her heart and mind were still in chaos.

Hōki hadn't crossed her mind in a long, long time. And yet there he was, sitting at her dining table, in her _home_. About to eat the food that she cooked. Sarada rolled around to the other side of the bed and reached for her phone on the bedside table. There was a text from Sumire, and although she knew she shouldn't have read it, she did.

 **Sumire:** _I'm really sorry about earlier. I feel like I overreacted and things got carried away… please tell Boruto I'm sorry, too. If you need to talk, I'm here for you._

Sarada took a deep breath in and closed her eyes before letting it out slowly. How Sumire behaved was understandable. Even when she and Hōki were together in uni, she had already disliked him. Even more so when they tried to make it work when Sarada was already working. Even if, Sumire never let Sarada's hand go—especially when she needed her support.

The thought of her being so affected by seeing him again upset Sarada. She thought she was over it, and that he no longer mattered. But she couldn't deny that her relationship with Hōki had changed her, and even at times, still showed. Like every time Boruto would do something so nice for her, Sarada felt like she didn't deserve it. Or worse, even if Boruto showed no signs of ever hurting her, Sarada always had a fear that he would leave. In a blink of an eye or one day when she got up, he wouldn't be there and never come back to her.

It was a hard thing to unlearn, that Boruto wasn't Hōki and that he would never, _ever_ do that to her.

Sarada knew Boruto wouldn't. But it still scared her.

Putting her phone away, Sarada turned to face Boruto again, her hand reaching out to touch his face in the dark, and trace his whiskers with her fingers. Boruto loves her and their baby. He had done nothing but show her that, everything he did was for them.

Moving closer, Sarada lifted his arm and draped it over her side. Wiggling even closer, Sarada pushed her head under his chin and closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep. Boruto's arm moved just to tuck more firmly around her and he kissed the side of her head.

"You okay?" He asked, voice quiet and deeper from him just being roused.

She shook her head, not wanting to lie to him. Her arm draped over him and she held on tightly—too tight for her to fall asleep.

Boruto frowned against her hair and pulled his arm back enough to start rubbing her back in slow, soothing motions. "I'm so sorry. What can I do? Anything you want or need, I'll take care of it."

"Just hold me, please." Sarada didn't like knowing that Boruto thought it was his fault. He had no idea who Hōki was to her, and she had never even mentioned his name. Sarada thought she would never have to, either.

Simply knowing that he was freely interacting with someone so close to her disturbed her, thinking that he lived near them—that she could even bump into him anywhere—was even more unsettling. Her safe space had been invaded and it was no one's fault.

It just _happened_.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I thought I was completely over it."

"Shh." He stroked her hair, scooting down just so he could place a kiss to her nose. "You don't have to be completely over it yet. You don't need to apologize. It's all my fault. But I promise you, you _never_ have to worry about seeing that bastard again. He doesn't want to cross paths with me."

"I know." She nodded and clutched onto his shirt a little tighter. "And it's not your fault. You didn't know." Perhaps she shouldn't have shrugged it off the moment Boruto mentioned his name. For a while, Sarada knew it was _that_ Hōki but just didn't want to believe it, thinking it could have been someone with the same name.

Sighing, Boruto sat up slowly and hovered over her with a sad smile. "I know what you need." He said, tenderly caressing her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Will you come downstairs with me?"

"Downstairs?" She shifted on the bed just enough to look at his face. "What are we going to do?"

"Cheer you up." He mused, teasingly poking the tip of her nose. "I'm thinking milk and cookies… and a movie date on the couch. What do you think?"

"A date? Right now?" Although it was just a movie in their living room, Sarada still found herself smiling. "I like the sound of that."

Boruto's slight smile widened, finally reaching his eyes and he didn't waste a second scampering out of bed and scooping her up into his arms. "Great!" He beamed, already halfway to the bedroom door. "If you don't pass out on me maybe we can have an after date snack."

She laughed and hit his chest lightly. "I should have known it would lead to that." Boruto always knew what to do to make her feel better. Their little puppy also woke up from her doggy bed and ran over to sleep by their feet. Boruto came back with a plate of cookies and large mugs of warm milk. She drank a little bit of it, already feeling so much better. But not as good as when she leaned on him.

He tucked a blanket around her and then his arm before grabbing the remote and crossing his legs at the ankle. "What do you wanna watch, Princess? Anything you want, we will watch it. Maybe a princess movie?"

"Am I that predictable?" Sarada chuckled and leaned on him some more. "Or maybe a Pixar movie. Let's watch Zootopia."

"What, princesses are great." Boruto sulked. "I have a thing for them, ya know." He found the requested movie and played it before setting the remote aside and bringing that hand over to hold her own. "Of course you're my _favorite_ though."

She giggled and turned to face him, kissing his jaw lightly. "And you're my favorite prince."

There were times such as these wherein Sarada couldn't believe her luck. Boruto was really too good to her, and too good to be true. It had only been less than a year but she found herself falling for him more and more.

"I love you." He breathed, turning his face as well, only to steal a quick kiss from her lips. "Tomorrow I want to take you on another date. If you're up to it."

Sarada closed her eyes for the kiss and sighed dreamily. Whatever she did to deserve him, she was glad she did that. "What are we going to do?"

"You just leave that to me." Boruto smiled, lips still brushing across her own. After he spoke, he kissed her once more, fully, slowly. "But make sure you reserve the entire day just for me."

"It's the weekend. We always spend time together." Sarada grinned, but still liked the idea of going out on a proper date.

Boruto hummed and looked at the TV while playing with her hair. "I know, but I always want to do more with you."

Hearing him say things as sweet as that made Sarada internally scold herself. How could she ever think that he would leave her? She knew well it was just her fear, but also decided that she needed to do better and to put all her trust in him. "I want that, too. I love you." Sarada leaned on his chest and looked at the television, too, watching the two characters try to make it in the world they lived in as best they can.

"I love you too, Princess." He murmured softly and then just kept playing with her hair with gentle fingers.

Sarada adored this movie. The positivity of the main character and the background music always helped cheer her up, but it was really having her fiancée so near that did it for her. It wasn't soon until she fell asleep on his chest, all but forgetting what or who had been upsetting her in the first place.

The next morning, Sarada blinked her eyes open, finding herself back in the bedroom and tangled up in their comforter. Boruto was no longer next to her, and taking a look at how bright the sun was that peeked through the curtains, it was already late in the morning.

She sat up and looked around, not finding Boruto anywhere. So she got out of bed and washed her face before heading downstairs. He was in the kitchen, closing up a basket she didn't recognize. When he saw her walk in, he smiled so wide his eyes closed and wrinkled at the sides.

"Good morning, Princess. Come sit, I'll make you coffee and something to eat."

"Good morning." She returned his smile and sat down at the dining table, but couldn't help and look at the basket on the counter. "What's that? I haven't seen it before."

Boruto turned and got the coffee maker started, then went over to the refrigerator. "It's for our date." He explained and then added, "it's new. Hima brought it over for me this morning."

"Ooh." Sarada was still looking at the basket, a soft smile forming on her lips. "Are we having a picnic?"

"Who told you?" He huffed, turning around with his hands full of items.

"You did, just now." Sarada laughed. "I haven't been on a picnic before."

His bottom lip poked out, but only for an instant as he was soon smiling wide. "You really haven't?" He asked excitedly, walking over to the counter and setting everything down. After preparing her decaffeinated coffee and bringing it to her, he went about preparing her breakfast, sliced strawberries and bananas and toast with a thin layer of Nutella. Once he set the food on the table for her, he kissed her temple and returned to the sink to clean the dishes he'd dirtied.

Sarada took her coffee and had a nice, long sip. The toast Boruto prepared for her was full of her favorites, but instead of digging in right away, she took another sip and put the mug down and got up from the chair. She wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him from behind and leaning her head on his back. "Thank you, Boruto. I love you."

More than the breakfast and taking care of her and their baby, Sarada was really just happy to have him.

"I love you too, Princess." He hummed. "And Ita-kun… he's poking me. You need to eat your breakfast for you and him though, okay? I have a special date planned for us, even if it's on the simple side. I'm sure you'll love it."

She chuckled and kissed his back, giving him a little squeeze before walking over to the dining table to finish the breakfast he had prepared for her. "Aren't you going to eat with me?" She called.

"Oh, I've been up for a while, so I already ate." He explained as he finished up and then wiped his hands on his way over to the table. After pulling out a chair and moving it closer to her, he sat down with a cheeky smile. "But I'm happy to watch you eat."

Sarada pouted at that, but eventually smiled. "Okay. Other than going on a picnic, what else are we doing today?"

"I thought we could go on a little road trip, see the countryside for a bit. It's a pretty day. Of course, we'll stop so you can stretch your legs every twenty minutes, but it seemed like a fun idea to me… unless you don't want to."

"Hmm… that sounds nice. Will you whisk me away for a no clothes weekend again?" She grinned.

His smile turned a bit devious as he rested his elbow on the table and propped his cheek in his hand. "Now that you mention it, getting a room sounds nice. You never know, we may find ourselves all the way in the mountains."

"I'm packing for all four seasons before we leave." She laughed. Being with Boruto meant new experiences and a lot of fun surprises. This time, she wanted to be ready. "Don't worry, I'll pack for you, too."

"So sweet, Princess." He grinned and leaned over to kiss her forehead. Then he got up and put his chair back in place. "You just eat and let me worry about that. I'm too eager to get you away and to think—a whole weekend date? This is why I love you."

"I think that's my line, love."

"No way." He winked and playfully poked her nose. "Eat. I'll be finished before you. Bet."

"Okay, thank you." She stroked her cheek and watched him walk up the stairs. He was always doing so much for her, and she really was more than grateful for him.

Boruto did finish packing by the time she reached their bedroom. He was just closing up their bag and looking proud that he was right. Sarada quickly took a shower and got dressed, excited for their weekend date. Perhaps going out of town and enjoying scenic views would help her forget their stressful encounter the day before.

Once she was ready to go, Boruto informed her that he had already taken everything to the car and had already started it. He checked over the house again before walking out with Cookie in one arm and his keys in the other. After he locked up they walked to the car together and Sarada held their pup so Boruto could concentrate on driving.

"We'll drop her off with Mitsuki. Or Hima, if you prefer that." He said as he got on the road, peeking at her only when it was safe.

"Any is fine," Sarada replied and petted Cookie. "Did you ask them first though? I can call to check."

"I was totally gonna just take her. Good idea. You call."

Sarada chuckled and called Himawari first. The girl was ecstatic to have the little puppy for the weekend and told her not to even ask Mitsuki because she didn't want to share. If this was how Himawari would behave with their puppy, Sarada could only imagine how she would be once they had their baby.

"Can we take her with us to the picnic?" Sarada rubbed her hand on his thigh. "I think she'll like that."

"Of course we can, I think Cookie will like that." He chuckled and laid his hand over hers on his thigh. "Careful now, we want to actually make it to and through the park date and everything else. Unless…" he gave her a suggestive glance and swiped his tongue between his lips.

She blushed but didn't take her hand away from his leg. "Maybe… after we drop her off at your parents' house?" Sarada wasn't going to say no to making love with Boruto. Especially since he was the one who brought it up.

"We gonna break the car in? I'm down for it. Just have to park somewhere hidden. Can't have anyone catching my Princess in the act."

"Don't be silly!" Sarada slapped his chest lightly. "If we're going to stay somewhere overnight, then that's where it will be." Boruto was so ridiculous sometimes, but he never failed to make her laugh. Making love in the car was something they haven't done yet though… but she would bring that up later.

Boruto huffed, but his grin was as wide as ever. "What's wrong with doing it in the car and then again wherever we're staying later?"

He had a very good point. "We'll see." She tapped his leg before withdrawing her hand, in favor of cuddling Cookie to her chest. She would just tease him a little bit, as she was sure she would give in if he asked again.

.

.

.

The park that Boruto had chosen was lovely. There were couples and families that laid out on blankets, and people rode on their bikes and went jogging along the paved path. There was a large fountain in the middle, where a few people sat. The grass was as green as it could be and perfectly manicured. Sarada didn't even know there was a park this beautiful near their home.

Boruto brought out their picnic basket and a mat, while Sarada carried Cookie. After laying out the mat in their spot, Sarada let Cookie go, watching her run around and roll on the grass. She inched closer to her fiancée and leaned on his shoulder.

"I like it here. This was a great idea."

"I'm glad." He hummed, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer. "Not that I doubted my idea making skills… I mean, I _am_ the best."

"Yes, you are." Sarada laughed and kissed his jaw. "I can just imagine coming back here with Ita-kun." She looked and stroked her growing belly lovingly before turning her gaze over to Boruto again. "He'd be running around with Cookie and you trying to chase him, too." It was probably too early to think that ahead, but she could already picture it and it only excited her more.

"I can see it too." He murmured. "I'm happy right where I am, right now, with you… but I'm looking forward to making all those wonderful memories, ya know? And then Ita-kun having brothers and sisters too. We really have a lot of fucking to do."

Everything he was saying was so perfect until he uttered the last sentence. Her face fell and gasped. "Is that all you want from me, Boruto? To fuck me and have babies?" She faked a sob and laughed at his stricken expression. "Or maybe you're still horny."

"Well, I'm always horny. Blame yourself… but you know that's not all I want you for. I hope… if I need to become a born again virgin to prove it to you, I will."

"I'm not even sure if that's funny or what!" Sarada laughed again. He really was so silly. "It wouldn't be right to take all the credit for you being horny all the time, love. I could say the same about you, though."

He scoffed and turned his head, giving her cheek three quick pecks. "Well, it's true though. I just love you so much, I always want you."

"And I love _you_." She giggled, feeling over the moon. "Thank you for doing this, Boruto. And I'm sorry about last night." He was always doing so much for her. "I want to make it up to you."

"What?" His face fell instantly. "What are you apologizing for? There's nothing for you to make up."

"For… for dinner and we didn't even get to spend time with your aunt." What she really wanted to apologize for was Hōki but didn't want to say his name. "You know…"

"Don't you know that your health and happiness is all I care about? Ita-kun included." He asked quietly, unmoving. "I'm the one who's sorry—I let the bastard into our home. Yes, I didn't know, but I still feel responsible. But I swear, I'll make it so you forget it ever happened. Forget he ever existed."

"You're always doing so much for me," she whispered. Sarada wasn't even sure what she did to deserve him but if she said that, it would only upset him further. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too, Princess. Just please don't worry or stress yourself." He sighed and kissed her lips softly before opening the basket and grabbing a bottle of water for her. "I need you and our baby in prime condition. Always. I'll do my best for you, and you do too, okay?"

Sarada nodded. "I will." She accepted the water and drank, turning her gaze over to their puppy, who was happily chasing a butterfly. After her drink, she looked at Boruto again and smiled shyly. "What did you have packed for us?" It had only been over an hour but she was already feeling hungry.

He smiled back and then began pulling things out of the basket ranging from more fresh fruit to sub sandwiches, pudding cups, and chips. They snacked and lazed around on the mat together, the conversation turning to Cookie again before they started discussing their upcoming travels. After they ate though, Boruto suggested they take a walk through the park's nature trail to get some exercise before getting on their way.

The walk was lovely, with their little puppy doing her best to keep up with them until Boruto eventually carried her. They packed up and headed over to Boruto's parents' house and dropped Cookie off with Himawari for the weekend. The couple didn't even come inside, but they did stay parked in the driveway long enough for a passionate kiss.

Sarada's mood had considerably lightened, holding on to his hand as they drove on the freeway. The fields and country were starting to come into view, just as the sun was starting to set. The sky filled with pink and orange hues, all blending in with the cerulean sky.

"Where are we going?" Sarada asked, turning to look at Boruto.

"Nowhere specific in mind." He admitted while bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing her knuckles. "Just you, me and Ita-kun… and the open road. Figure we can just go until we can't go anymore."

"Won't you be tired?" She pouted. "I don't want you to just keep on driving."

"If I get too tired to drive, I'll find somewhere. And if you get tired of riding, just say the word and I'll do the same. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine but… I want to cuddle." Perhaps she was being a little spoiled. But Sarada didn't want Boruto feeling tired either. "We could explore somewhere near here."

"Alright, Princess. I'll pull off at the next exit." He told her, giving her hand another kiss before letting his and hers rest on his thigh. "Wanna stop for food before we get a room or find somewhere with room service?"

"I don't mind any." Sarada held on to his hand with both of hers. "Maybe we can find a Thunder Burger and see if it tastes different." She giggled.

"No way!" He huffed out a laugh. "Thunder Burgers are all the same. Perfect. But I'm sure there will be one… I mean, I hope so—because now I'm craving it."

Sarada laughed with him and brought his hand up to her cheek. "I hope we find one soon because I'm craving for you."

"Damn, easy, Princess." Boruto gasped. "I _almost_ swerved."

She laughed again and poked his cheek. "You have to be careful, you know. Or else we both won't get what we're craving for."

"Right. I know… just, don't tease me while I'm driving. Don't think I won't pull over right on the side of the road and have my way with you. Because I will."

"Ooh." She grinned slyly and then batted her long eyelashes at him innocently. "What if I do?"

Boruto let out a long, amused hum. "Make up your mind, Princess. I can't give you everything your heart desires if you keep sending me mixed signals."

"Maybe a room with room service… because I want you. Now."

Finally, Boruto was able to turn off onto the next exit and luckily the town had just what they were looking for. His blue eyes locked on the hotel that called to him the most and he turned off at the light to drive them there. "Five minutes and I'm all yours."

Sarada giggled and nodded. It was amazing how Boruto could be so quick to get things done as long as there was a good incentive waiting for him. She would be sure to give him a good time. Sarada held on to his hand as they walked to the front desk together and booked a room for the night.

The hotel looked new and modern, though quite small. It had a cute charm to it, too. The keys were given to Boruto and she could feel his excitement with each step they took towards their room.

It was all white walls and white sheets, on a king-sized bed. It looked cozy, with the neutral-colored curtains and a view of the town. Sarada gravitated towards the menu, looking through their dinner choices. "They have burgers. Do you want me to get you that?"

"I never turn down a burger." He grinned as he left their bag at the end of the bed and then took his shoes off.

"Okay, I'll get us that and ooh! Milkshakes." Sarada picked up the phone and placed in their order. "He said thirty minutes." She put the phone down and walked over to Boruto, wrapping her arms around his middle. "What can we do in thirty minutes?" She asked slyly.

"Half an hour? I could make you come so much you'd pass out on me. But I won't get carried away."

"Oh?" She hummed. "Prove it." Although she knew he could, a little teasing always went a long way for her.

Boruto was a giver, and Sarada learned that one of the best ways to thank him was to gladly accept what he had to offer.


	55. Epilogue

The summer months seemed harsher than they had in past years. Sarada was doing well in her pregnancy but was often uncomfortable. The heat didn't help at all, but Boruto made it a point to keep her as comfortable as possible. One of his favorite parts of the weekdays was fetching her from work. After being without her for a while, he was always looking forward to seeing her and her pretty smile.

Today was just another average day, or so Boruto thought, as he made his way inside Ichiraku Ramen Corp and to her office. It was a walk he knew well and would never forget. He remembered how much he'd dreaded taking the temporary position and how glad he was now that he had. It wasn't like Naruto gave him much of a choice, but it was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

It led him straight to Sarada.

They'd already made so many nice memories together. Some not so nice ones as well. Reminiscing often ended in his laughing to himself. He was so fond of her, loved her deeply, and would never let her go no matter what. Things weren't perfect between them, but they were damn close. Boruto was happy and he knew Sarada was too. They barely even argued these days.

"I'm here," Boruto called as he let himself into Sarada's office without knocking. He was early—as he often was—and she was with someone. "Oh, hello," he said to the young woman who had light blond hair and blue eyes just a shade lighter than his own. It made sense now when Sarada teased him that her new employee could pass for his sister. "You must be Nao."

"Hello!" The girl put her papers down and stood up, offering her hand. "You must be Ms. Sarada's husband."

"Unfortunately, no." Sarada teased.

"Oh!" The girl looked flustered. "S-Sorry. I saw the photos and assumed."

"That's fine, it's happening soon anyway and I'm happy to sport the title of Sarada's husband." Boruto was grinning happily as he walked around Sarada's desk and leaned against it casually. "Does that mean I can start calling you my wife now?"

She giggled. " _Maybe_. Can you give me ten more minutes with Nao? I just need to finish this."

"But I just got here," Boruto whined and reached over to give her belly a rub. "Don't be mean. She can share."

Nao laughed lightly, taking her seat in front of Sarada's desk again. "I don't mind."

Sarada placed her hand over Boruto's, and let him rub her growing belly a little more. "Just ten minutes." She smiled at him. "And I think Shikadai has a huge box for you. You can go get that while you wait for me."

"Ugh. Fine." Boruto didn't bother trying to hide his pout as he stood straight and raised his hand to teasingly poke at her hair. "Ten minutes. I'll be back."

"Yes, ten minutes!" Sarada rolled her eyes but ended up chuckling. "Now go." She shooed him.

He wasn't happy about it, but Boruto left her office after that and made his way to Shikadai. Whatever his friend could have for him, he had no idea and all he cared about was getting out of there with Sarada. The box was huge and did have his interest piqued as Shikadai pointed it out.

"What is it?" Boruto asked with a cocked brow. "I didn't order anything and have it shipped here." He'd made that mistake before and it wouldn't happen again.

"I think you'll like it." Shikadai pulled out a cutter and started cutting the tape off of the brown carton. When he opened it up, he fished out a cup, with the bright label on it, _'Burger Ramen._ ' "The headache that you made us all go through." Shikadai laughed. "But happy to say it's been doing well."

"Are you fucking kidding me, bro?" Boruto snatched the cup to inspect it closer with his own eyes. "Oh my god, Sarada didn't tell me? What the—" He was wounded beyond repair. "How long has it been out?"

"Just got it shipped out last week. Had a few come in today for samples. We're expecting a lot of new channels to order, so we're producing it again. One of the best limited editions we've had." Shikadai seemed happy with the result of the product. "Haven't tried it yet, though."

"These are all for me?" It was hard to believe. He'd been waiting on burger ramen for his entire life and now, here it was, in his hand. "I have to have some. Now."

"Yeah, this whole box is for you and Sarada. Your dad already brought home like three cartons for himself." He laughed. "We'll have the rest come in tomorrow for everyone else to try."

"That bastard didn't tell me either. You're all traitors."

Boruto and Shikadai made their way to the pantry together, Boruto bound and determined to get a taste of the burger ramen sooner rather than later. Shikadai was happy to talk of the success so far for the new product and Boruto was always down to talk numbers with anyone. When they were seated and waiting for the hot water to prepare the noodles, Boruto's leg was bouncing impatiently.

"You're lucky to get to try it first with me. I have so many burger ideas when it comes to ramen. It's stupid to stop at only one flavor. We should partner with Thunder Burger and bring all their flavors to life. Holy fuck I'm a genius." Boruto snickered and broke his chopsticks apart, ready for a taste.

"Good luck pitching that to Sarada." Shikadai laughed and also took out his own chopsticks. They both took a seat and prepared themselves to have a taste of Boruto's first and last product for the company.

The first bite was heaven. Boruto could only laugh in elation as his taste buds were assaulted with the flavorful goodness of his favorite thing to eat. "It's better than I hoped," he cooed before scooping some more with his chopsticks and blowing on them. He was too eager to wait. "And don't you worry about Sarada. If it's me, she won't say no."

" _Right_." Shikadai sounded fully convinced.

"You haven't tasted it yet?" Boruto scoffed after having his second bite. It was hot as hell but nothing would stop him. "And don't you go doubting me. I'm her favorite person, ya know?"

He finally took a bite and nodded. "Okay…" He blew on the cup, going for another bite. "That isn't that bad."

"You mean it's fucking great. Brilliant. Praise me for my genius and tell me I should convince Sarada to get more flavors going." Boruto was so giddy all he could do was laugh and grin and keep eating the delicious ramen. "Best ramen _ever_."

"There you are!" Sarada poked her head into the pantry and huffed, one hand holding on to her belly and the other on her hip. "I've been looking all over for you. And convince me of what?"

"Oh shit, I'm sorry." Boruto couldn't believe that he'd forgotten to return to her. "Oh, wait. I'm _not_ sorry because _you_ lied to me." He turned his nose up and went back to his ramen.

"Excuse me?" Sarada crossed her arms across her chest and then looked at Shikadai, who only averted his gaze and quickly picked up his cup to get out of the pantry, leaving them alone inside.

"Damn it, Sarada, we were having a moment here. Not that you'd understand—you traitor." He huffed and took another bite, refusing to look at her.

She walked up to him and picked up his cup, reading the label. "Oh, you're trying it already. It was supposed to be a surprise."

"Don't you _'it was supposed to be a surprise'_ me!" He wouldn't listen. "You were keeping it from me and I know it. Why? The only way you can make this up to me is if you agree to sponsor all Thunder Burger's flavors."

"Of course I was keeping it from you. That's why it's a surprise." She laughed and placed his cup back down. "And that's a no, Boruto," she replied sweetly and kissed the top of his head before she fetched her mug and got herself some water.

"I don't want fake kisses." He frowned. "Why would you do this to me? Don't you see how well the burger ramen is doing." She couldn't pretend otherwise, he already knew the numbers and could guesstimate how well it would go in the long run. "My ideas don't flop. Ever. Have a little faith in me."

"You can take that up with your father, but I won't be putting it forward. Besides," Sarada sat down next to him and grinned. "I don't want to leave too much work with the team. I'll be on maternity leave sooner rather than later."

"I could always step in. I can't believe you really wanna argue with me on this." It was disheartening and left him sulking more than eating his ramen. "We need variety. We deserve it… it's a great idea."

"We will have an opening for my reliever soon enough. I can put in a good word for you." she snickered.

Wounded again, Boruto sighed and returned to eating his ramen more slowly this time. "I see how this is gonna be."

"Don't you want me to recommend you to fill in for me?" Sarada leaned on his arm and looked up at him through her lashes. Whenever Boruto was in a sulky mood, Sarada always made sure to balance him out with some sweetness. "That way I won't feel so guilty if I ask to extend it more."

"It would be the most logical decision in my opinion, but what do I know?" He was trying not to break away from his sullen mood, but it was difficult when Sarada was so close to him and he was so soft for her.

"Mm, and since you have a new baby, I'm sure your father will let you stay at home more while you work." She grinned and rubbed his arm soothingly. "Three months is pretty standard for maternity, but I might want to extend it a little bit, you know?"

Boruto nodded and finished the last of his ramen. "I think it will be good for you to be at home and focusing on Ita-kun for as long as you want. He will need you and it's going to be a lot of change for you and me both. I don't want you to worry about anything. Working will be easy for me and I can still take care of you and Ita-kun too."

"That's what you have Mitsuki and my team for. More time for me and Ita-kun." Sarada chuckled lightly and kissed his shoulder. "We can always get someone else to fill me in. That way, I have more of you for myself."

"Well, we still have time to decide what's best for us—and for the baby, most importantly."

Boruto had so much to look forward to, but he couldn't say he was against working in Sarada's place during her leave. At least then he could make more burger flavors happen.

.

.

.

 **Sumire:** Look, Sarada! Look at this cute dog, I want hiiiim!

Sarada took a look at the photo, seeing a chocolate-colored Retriever. It appeared to be a little younger than a year.

 **Sumire:** I want to adopt him. Please tell me it's a good idea. But even if you say no, I'm sure I can convince Mitsuki to talk me into adopting him.

She laughed at her friend's silliness and shifted on the bed, leaning closer to Boruto and taking a look at Cookie, sleeping soundly at the edge of their bed. She had grown so much over the last few months, and so had Ita-kun. Her hand stroked her belly tenderly.

"Do you think Sumire and Mitsuki can handle a dog?" She asked as she continued to stroke her belly. "I'm not sure if I should tell her it's a good idea or not."

"If Mitsuki can handle those snakes he can handle anything." Boruto huffed, sounding certain. He smiled and tucked his arm around her, burying his nose against her neck. "Maybe it will keep them busy."

"Hmm. You're right. They'll be moving in together soon. Do you think that's a good idea, though?" It sounded a little much for her, but then again, she got pregnant, engaged, bought a house, and moved in well within six months. "Yeah, okay, I'll tell her to do it." She composed a reply, only to stop when her friend sent another picture.

They were adoption papers.

 **Sumire:** My hand slipped.

 **Sumire:** I have to bring Biscuit over to play with Cookie!

" _Biscuit_." Sarada laughed. "Boruto, if they're going to get a dog, you might as well tell Mitsuki to marry her already, too."

"You're right, I should probably give him that push. He does listen to me." He laughed. "What do you mean biscuit? Don't tell me it's a craving."

"No, no." She laughed again and showed Boruto her screen. "I think Cookie's going to get a boyfriend."

"What?" He scoffed at that, squinting as he looked at the phone. "She is way too young to consider that. No. Absolutely not."

"Cookie could have her first heat in a few months." Sarada eyed their dog, who woke up thanks to Boruto's outburst. "Don't you want to get a boyfriend, Cookie?" She asked, to which the dog wagged her tail. "See!"

"Sarada don't be ridiculous. What are you rushing her for?" He pouted and was quick to move and take Cookie into his arms, holding her like a baby. "No way I would let her do something so lewd while she's still a child. You need to think about what you're saying."

"She's seven months old! Her breed information said she could start going into heat soon." She couldn't help but laugh at how protective her fiancé was. She could only imagine how he would be towards their children. "Fine. They can be friends first, right?"

"Well, I guess I'll allow it but the first time he tries anything is the last time he will see my Cookie." Boruto turned his nose up and even rolled over away from her, snuggling up with Cookie instead.

Sarada giggled and texted her friend that they could have their dogs meet over the weekend in their backyard. The fall weather had been good to them, aside from the many fallen leaves that continued to accumulate and keep Boruto busy raking them up. Cookie enjoyed running into the piles and getting dirty until Boruto had no choice but to bathe her.

Once Sarada finished her text, she tossed her phone away and hovered over Boruto, seeing that pout still visible on his face. It was quite the challenge to move when her belly was so swollen, but she tried and tickled his ear. "Playdate this weekend for the dogs. But maybe we can have our own playdate later?" She giggled.

"Well," he peeked at her while petting Cookie's ear. "I can't say no to my princess, can I?"

She grinned at him and kissed his shoulder. "I'm happy about that, love."

The weekend came faster than they had both anticipated, and when the doorbell rang, Cookie barked once and ran towards the door. Sarada pulled the cookies out of the oven and transferred them on to the cooling rack. "Boruto, could you get that, please? That should be Sumire and Mitsuki."

Seeing Cookie sniff at the door and her tail wagging like crazy was already making Sarada's cheeks hurt from all the smiling.

"Yeah, I got it," Boruto called, already on his way to the door. "Hey guys," she heard him greet the pair once he opened the door to let them in. "There's the Cookie stealer."

"Boruto!" Sarada reprimanded him from the kitchen.

Sumire giggled, and Mitsuki was still smiling, though. The dog on the leash looked elated to see Cookie, his bum rising in the air, tail wagging like crazy. Cookie looked excited, too.

"He is kinda cute but I'm telling you he better treat my Cookie with respect or else." Boruto wasn't going to budge on the matter.

"I'm sure he'll behave." Sumire crouched down and doted on her dog before unclasping the lock that connected his collar with the leash. It only took a second before the two dogs were running around the house, bumping into things.

"Outside!" Sarada screeched.

"Oh shit, don't upset my princess." Boruto was quick to usher the dogs to the fenced-in backyard. "They'll get their exercise out there, don't worry everything is okay."

He knew well just how much she worried about the house and everything is taken cared of. The further Sarada got into her pregnancy, the easier she was to upset. Sometimes Boruto was walking on eggshells and sometimes she was overly happy. He never knew what side of her he was going to get but he loved all of them deeply.

Sarada sighed and walked over to their guest, kissing their cheeks before settling down on the couch. "How's moving in?"

"Great so far." Sumire smiled. "Having Biscuit around really livened up the place, too."

"Having a dog is a great addition to a home." Sarada looked at Boruto and raised her brows at him, waiting.

"Oh, for sure," Boruto agreed right away when prompted by her. "Also… kids are good. The more the merrier."

"How would you even know? You don't have one yet." Mitsuki blinked.

Sarada snickered. "I have a feeling."

"Excuse me? Yes, I do. Just because he's not running around in here yet doesn't mean I don't have him. I'll kick your ass."

The three of them laughed. Sumire patted Mitsuki's thigh and leaned on him. "He's got a point there."

"Do you want kids?" Mitsuki asked, putting her on the spot.

"I—" Sumire blushed all the way up to her ears, hands cupping her flaming cheeks. "I guess I do."

"Yes, kids are great, and being pregnant is great." Boruto nodded with certainty. "Me and Sarada have tons of fun and just knowing Ita-kun will be here soon is so exciting."

"Great because you're not the one who's pregnant," Sarada muttered. She then clasped her hands together and turned her attention back to her friends. "Keep us updated. And I call dibs being maid of honor."

"Isn't that for weddings?" Mitsuki asked innocently.

"S-Sarada!" Sumire screeched.

"Great, I'll be Mitsuki's best man and we'll get to walk down the aisle together twice." Boruto grinned and blew a kiss at Sarada.

"Sounds perfect." Sarada grinned at her fiance. "I can't wait for my invitation."

Poor Sumire looked like she was overheating based on how red her face was.

"You want to get married?" Mitsuki looked at her. "You never told me."

"What does she need to do, spell it out for you. Damn Mitsuki sometimes you just gotta know these things." Boruto shook his head at his friend and sighed. "We need to talk more about this."

"We do." Mitsuki nodded seriously.

Sarada giggled at her friends' embarrassed expression, but she would not be sorry at all if Mitsuki proposed to her tomorrow morning. A week later, Sarada got a call from Sumire, crying because Mitsuki had bought her the prettiest ring and she said yes.

.

.

.

For months Boruto had done everything within his power to prepare for _the_ day.

Today was the day.

Nobody told him today would be the day.

It happened early in the morning—earlier than he normally even woke. Boruto was in a dead sleep when something smacked him in the face. Hard.

"What the fuck?" He shot up in bed with a start, hearing Sarada grunt in pain next to him and quickly realized it was her who'd punched him while she slept. "Sarada?" He called, forgetting about his pain as he was concerned for her. Boruto rested his hand on her arm, rubbing it. "Hey, Sarada, wake up."

She groaned again and squeezed her eyes shut before rolling over to the other side of the bed. Her hand then flew to her swollen belly and rubbed at it.

"You okay, princess?" Boruto asked worriedly, quick to begin rubbing her back in a comforting manner. "Need some water? A bath?"

Her eyes opened by a crack, and she winced. "Painful."

"Just breathe and relax. I'll take care of you." He kissed her forehead and felt her breathe a bit easier as if the pain had gone. "Maybe we should try a bath to soothe you. Come on, I'll run your water."

"Okay," she whispered, slowly getting up from bed, but still rubbing her tummy. The pain was gone. Boruto walked around the bed and stood in front of her. When Sarada got up, she felt something wet between her legs. Her eyes widened and looked at the floor, seeing liquid seeping through her shorts and down her thighs. "Oh no." She knew. "Boruto…"

"What?" He already felt panic setting in and was trying to remind himself to breathe. He knew too, but he was having a moment of denial.

She looked at him and blinked in the dark, but she could see the fear on his face. Her heart fluttered for a moment. "My water broke."

"Right… water." He nodded, laughing nervously before screeching, "Holy fuck! Your water broke!"

Sarada jumped at his sudden outburst making her panic rise as well. "I-it's okay. Mama told us it'll be fine. We just need to get to the hospital."

Boruto took a breath, knowing he needed to calm down so he could take care of his princess. It was his only duty as a man and a soon to be a father. "Okay, princess… I have this all under control. You just sit here on the bed and give me a minute okay?"

She could only nod, doing her best to stay calm, too. While Boruto ran to gather their things, Sarada picked up her phone from the bedside table, wanting to text her mother that she had begun labor. In the middle of the text, Sarada felt a contraction and gasped at the pain. As if on cue, Boruto was right at their door and watched her suffer through one.

He was cursing on his way over to her, having left their bags by the bedroom door. Boruto was quick to come to her side, having her robe and a clean pair of underwear and pajama bottoms for her. He knelt on the floor before where she sat on the bed and cradled her stomach in his hands.

"You have to remember to breathe through them, princess. Remember?" Boruto rubbed her belly, breathing along with her until the contraction passed and she was able to feel relief once more. "Can you stand up for me now?"

Taking one more breath, she finally nodded and held his hand to help her to stand. Boruto helped her remove her shorts and to change her clothes, all while Sarada tried but failed to put her robe on by herself. He helped her make sure it was in place before they finally walked together out of their room.

It was difficult for Sarada, especially when she would get contractions at the places where she least wanted them to happen. In the middle of the stairs, and right before she got into the car. She felt better once she got to sit down, and finally finished texting her mother before bracing herself for another one.

Boruto put their bags in the back seat and hurried to get behind the wheel and on the road. "Don't worry, princess. You're going to do great. It's early so traffic is light. We're going to meet Ita-kun today!" He hoped to reassure her and help her see the bright side despite the pain she was in as he drove. They were fifteen minutes away from the hospital and that was with no traffic and him speeding, which he had to be mindful of.

Everything after that was a blur, at least until Boruto got to lay eyes on his son for the very first time. Sarada's labor had gone on for hours and hours and during that time, she had experienced a lot of discomfort and pain. They were visited by their parents and Himawari, but for the most part, were given their space. Once it got closer to time, all Boruto knew was that he needed to be there for Sarada, even if only for her to scream at him and hate him. It was awful and time seemed to sit still for a while, but once he was born, all the waiting and pain were forgotten.

Boruto was shaken with nerves, but his hand was steady whenever he was allowed to cut the umbilical cord himself. Ita-kun was laid on Sarada's naked chest. She was crying and laughing at the same time, whereas she had been screaming and cursing only a moment before. Boruto had never felt such an overwhelming amount of love before in his life.

He loved Sarada, but what he felt for her had grown so immensely in the blink of an eye that he couldn't wrap his head around it. And Ita-kun, he was special in a way Boruto could never describe with words. Hearing his cries made Boruto's heart swell with pride. He kissed Sarada's head and thanked her for being everything he ever needed and more.

They were only in the hospital for the rest of that day and the next. Sarada had a smooth delivery, even if it hadn't seemed like it at the time—Boruto honestly thought at one point that she was on the verge of death and he'd almost passed out more times than he cared to admit to anyone. Some very doting grandparents visited and didn't want to leave. Himawari was overjoyed—and came with Inojin not once, but _three_ times. Sarada's uncles visited as well, and even Mitsuki and Sumire, but when they went home for the first time, Boruto and Sarada requested to have some time alone to get settled.

Leaving the hospital was a little scary for Boruto. He'd never been a parent before and really didn't know what he was doing. He wanted to do his best for Sarada and Ita-kun, and was more careful than ever before. He drove along slowly, carried Ita-kun's carrier inside as carefully as possible, and never took his eyes off of his son once they were inside. Sarada didn't seem to have the shaken nerves that Boruto was dealing with. She handled Ita-kun with care, but in a way that made her seem like a seasoned pro.

"He's so tiny," Boruto whispered to her as if speaking any louder would alarm the infant who was sleeping soundly in her arms. "So perfect… He looks like you."

"I think he looks like you," she chuckled lightly and then tore her gaze away from their son to look into his eyes. "He got one of my favorite parts of you."

"Okay, he looks like both of us." Boruto laughed and leaned closer to her, gently caressing Ita-kun's soft cheek with the tip of his index finger. "I can't believe he's here… and we're home. It feels like a dream."

"I feel the same." She leaned into him a little more and looked at their baby once again. "I've been feeling like I was in a dream since I met you."

"I love you, princess." Boruto smiled and kissed her temple before looking back at his son. "I'm happy we get to keep dreaming together, and with Ita-kun too."

.

.

.

As the leaves changed color and the trees remained bare, it signaled another season for the year. Ita-kun had grown so much in the last two months, and now that the holidays were approaching, their families were all debating who would host for Christmas Eve, and then host for Christmas Breakfast. Sarada was always happy to have their families and friends over, but having Ita-kun definitely changed a lot of things with her and Boruto's routine.

Boruto gave in and filled in the Marketing Director role while Sarada remained on maternity leave. As she had to stay at home more often and miss out on the office activities, it made her a little sad but gave her some time to cause some fun on her own. This year, they were still having their Feel Good Friend activity and Sarada sent Boruto some gifts to throw him off who his Santa might be.

Inojin and Chocho were helpful in this regard. They kept her in their work chat group and gossiped about the gifts that everyone was receiving.

 **Inojin:** Heads up, Sarada. I saw a bib on Boruto's desk earlier. I'm guessing his Santa knows about Ita-kun.

 **Chocho:** Who doesn't know Boruto has a baby? That's old news.

 **Nao:** I thought Ms. Sarada was married to him… my bad. I assumed it because people talked about it like they were already married!

That last line gave Sarada an idea of how to pull a practical joke on Boruto.

She ordered a bunch of things online and then spread them out on the days they were to be delivered. And to make it less suspicious, she always made sure to ask Boruto if his Santa got him anything.

After putting a sleeping Ita-kun in his bassinet, Sarada made her way downstairs and welcomed Boruto home. "How was work today? Did your Santa give you another baby item?" She grinned, holding her hands out expectantly.

"Ah, t-today? No, there were none." He shook his head quickly and held his hands up, his left eye twitching in a way that gave his lie away even if she didn't already know. "Maybe tomorrow."

Boruto was always such a bad liar, and she almost felt sorry he had to lie about it. Sarada pretended to pout and placed her hands on his chest as she asked again. "Not a baby item, then? No nice notes? Nothing fun?" She had sent him something _fun_ , and she was evil but enjoyed watching him squirm.

"Nope." Boruto laughed nervously. "Nothing. Definitely nothing fun or anything, ya know?"

Her brow lifted. There was no way he didn't find a remote-controlled vibrator _fun_. "Okay. Do you have your gift for Kagura ready?" It was funny how the fates worked. Of all the people Boruto could have gotten, it had to be Kagura. Sarada giggled.

"Yes, I'm on top of everything," he grumbled, obviously not happy, but he shook it off to smile at her and finally wrapped her in his arms, giving her a soft kiss on her lips. "How was your day?"

"It was okay." Sarada sighed. "I love being a mother and Ita-kun, but I do want a night off." Same time last year, she was always out shopping for gifts or watching movies and plays with friends. "A Christmas Carol is out again," she said and wrapped her arms around him, too. "Do you want to watch?"

"I think we can manage to get a babysitter for that." He grinned. "I want to watch."

"Great. I'll send you an Outlook invitation." She laughed.

Boruto laughed with her until he kissed her again, effectively silencing both of them.

While Boruto was at work, Sarada booked them tickets for Friday night. Getting a babysitter was not a problem, as her parents, Hinata, and even her uncles were all fighting over who could watch their baby for a few hours. She also received two emails that her orders have been received by Boruto. He had been good, keeping his mouth shut for the last two toys, but the one she sent hopefully would have him admitting that his Santa was being naughty this year.

Boruto had been a lot more nervous and agitated, and she knew it was because of her lewd gifts. On their drive to the theater, she placed her hand on his lap and asked. "How's work, love? Everyone happy with their Santas?"

"Ugh shit. We need to talk about that… but later. Okay?"

"Is it that bad?" Sarada tried her best to look innocent, but in truth, she was fighting so hard to keep her laughter to herself.

The play seemed even better this time around, and this time, she was happy she could hold his hand and cuddle. During the intermission, Sarada nearly broke down and told Boruto it was her sending him the sex toys, as he could barely look at her in the eye when she asked again, "Are you okay? Are you sure you don't want to tell me anything?"

"Yes, I do," he told her honestly, brows furrowed. His lips mulled together for a few seconds before he sighed and said, "My Santa is… I don't know who it is, but they've been sending these… things. Please don't be mad."

"What things?" She asked. "Baby things? The jumper they sent was really cute." She rubbed his arm. "I liked the pacifier, too." Whoever his real Santa surely knew how to choose quality baby things.

"No, god no… I wish." His frown deepened and he scratched his chin pensively as if trying to decide on the best words to explain. "I've been getting other things too… naughty things."

"Naughty things?" She gasped. "Like what?"

"You're gonna make me say it?" He whined, cheeks turning pink. "Like, sexual things… like… you know, toys and stuff."

"Boruto." Her voice dropped an octave lower. "You've been receiving _sex toys?_ " She made sure to keep her voice low. This was a family play, after all.

"Yes," he admitted quietly. "I don't know why or who would send me anything like that, I swear. I'll have their ass fired though, don't worry."

 _Oops._ Looks like he didn't take it as well as she thought. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Or you know… take them home?" There was a reason why she chose those particular toys. Sarada was actually excited to try them out.

"I knew you would be upset. I was hoping it was only a one-time thing, but it wasn't and I didn't really know how to bring it up to you. I feel bad and I'm sorry but I really have no idea who would do something like this. Everybody knows you are my princess and I don't want to think about sex unless it's with you."

"You'll have your Christmas party and reveal next week, right?" She rubbed his thigh. "I'm not upset. I'm more upset you didn't take them home for us to use." She giggled. Sarada thought about just letting him be surprised, but that would be mean to the unknowing Santa.

"Oh my god, what?" Boruto was affronted. "Are you serious? Wouldn't you be mad if I just showed up with something like that that was given to me?"

She shrugged. "I think I would be excited." Sarada grinned. "Besides, everyone knows you're mine. Those gifts might have been for me."

"Oh, well you do have a point… Maybe it's Chocho." Boruto thought it over before shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, I'll bring them home and we can play since you're so horny."

An elderly lady shot them a glare, and Sarada smiled apologetically before kissing his cheek and dragging her fingertips over his crotch. "I really am."

"Sarada, what the hell? Stop it." Boruto squeaked and brushed her hand aside. "What's gotten into you?"

The bell rang, and the lights started to dim. "Later." She giggled and then leaned on his shoulder again to watch the play.

The following week, Boruto brought home all of the toys he received, and Sarada would be lying if she said she wasn't excited. She couldn't even decide which one she wanted to try first. After trying all of them and feeling remarkably well spent, Sarada cuddled up to Boruto and sighed contentedly. "I knew getting those toys was a good idea."

"What?" Boruto quipped. He looked at her with his jaw slackened and his brows raised high. "What did you say?"

She bit her lower lip then. Slowly, she propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him, trying to stop herself from smiling. "I know who sent you those toys. And… it isn't your Santa for this year."

"You put somebody up to this?" He gaped at her. "What were you thinking?"

"No, I didn't. I chose and sent it to you." Sarada averted her gaze, a blush rising to her cheeks. "I wanted to send you gifts, too." Finally, she peeked at him. "Gifts that we can both enjoy."

"You're so bad." Boruto couldn't help but laugh then. "You want to have fun, or are you just eager to have my second baby?"

"If we go to your vacation home by the lake again, I'm quite sure we can have another baby." Sarada laughed, relieved he wasn't upset with her. There were still many vacant rooms that they needed to fill. "I don't mind having another as long as it's with you." She lied down on his chest and cuddled.

"So sweet. I love you, princess." Boruto smiled warmly and rubbed her back. "Fine, I don't see any reason to wait either. Let's do it."

.

.

.

Christmas dinner this year was different. Boruto and Sarada had more than enough room for everyone, so they had suggested to host the dinner themselves and just have everyone come over to them. It seemed like the best idea and that way they would be home with all of Ita-kun's things too. Everybody showed up early and the entire day Sarada, Hinata, Sakura, and Himawari had been in the kitchen cooking and baking. Shisui and Itachi were in there a good bit of the time also, both of them excited about cookies.

It was a busy yet relaxing day. Boruto was holding Ita-kun as much as he could, but his son had been stolen countless times throughout the day. Everybody wanted to hold him and dote on him. It was strange seeing Sasuke smile so much, but it made Boruto happy. Naruto was as goofy a grandpa as Boruto expected he'd be. Ita-kun had so many people to love and support him always and Boruto knew he would never want for anything.

This year was completely different from the last when he and Sarada hadn't even had dinner together. He remembered dropping her off with her parents that evening and being so nervous when Sasuke caught them under the mistletoe. It seemed as if those times were well in the past, much longer than a mere year ago. So much had happened.

Now, Boruto and Sarada had a child together and would soon be married. He wasn't scared of Sasuke anymore and had seen firsthand how soft the man actually was, so Boruto didn't hesitate to capture Sarada's lips in a kiss whenever they ended up beneath a mistletoe. There were quite a few, placed in odd parts of their home by Sakura, and Boruto being the opportunist he was, put them all to good use. It didn't matter who was around, nobody could stop him from showering his princess with love and affection. He knew exactly where each mistletoe was placed and he purposely continued to catch Sarada.

Ita-kun was just an infant, so it was a Christmas he wouldn't remember, but they made sure to take tons of pictures and videos. Boruto went above and beyond for his princess and their baby for Christmas—and Himawari too, he couldn't leave her out. It was a joyous time and Boruto had been so overly content with his life in the last year, that when the new year came, he thought he would get through it without much thought on his past.

It was still a part of him that he couldn't let go though, the nightmares returned more frequently the more he thought of his college days and Nyoko in particular. More guilt had consumed him when he had thoughts of letting her go to focus on his family. It wasn't fair to Nyoko and it wasn't like he really wanted to forget her anyway. He did hope that one day he wouldn't hurt so badly but he was glad to be able to keep her memory alive. This year, Sarada was by his side the entire time. She was patient and understanding, giving him his space when he needed it, never pushing him but always there when he needed her.

When the day of Nyoko's death arrived, Boruto woke in a cold sweat, tears streaming down his face. However, he was instantly reassured when Sarada was there to wrap her arms around him. She was already dressed in thick, warm winter clothing, had his clothes set out for him and a bag packed. She was able to think clearly, while he wasn't. She was his saving grace during the most difficult times and somehow, even if it seemed impossible, Boruto found himself falling even more in love with her than he already was.

.

.

.

Valentine's finally rolled in, and for once, her parents offered to stay in town to take care of Ita-kun. Sarada already thought it was strange when her mother told her they would be staying in town, but got even more suspicious when her father _insisted_.

"Did you plan something for us this Valentine's?" Sarada asked him, even if she was already sure he did.

"Me? Plan? Pft." Boruto laughed. "Definitely not. I've been too busy lately… sorry this year there are no plans."

Sarada nodded, trying to look convinced, but her smile said otherwise. "Right. Too busy with me and Ita-kun and your new Ramen line, right?" She approached him from behind, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck and then peered at the screen. She spotted an open tab that did _not_ look like it was work-related.

Boruto was quick to spin around, forcing her to step back, and then she was tugged into his lap. The move was effective in keeping her eyes away from the screen but she already knew he was up to something. His arms wound around her, embracing her strongly as he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

"That's exactly right. You're not too disappointed, are you?"

"Not at all." Sarada chuckled lightly. "I guess you can say I expected it." It was so hard not to laugh. "I should tell Mama and Papa they don't need to take care of Ita-kun for the weekend, then." She bit her lower lip as she watched his expression change. Boruto could never lie to her but she appreciated that he tried for surprises.

"W-well… we don't have to go _that_ far. I mean, we could at least have the time to ourselves. Just because we will be home doesn't mean I can't spoil you…"

She pretended to think that over for a moment and decided not to torture him any further. "You're right. I think I'd like that." Sarada smiled and pressed a light kiss on his right eye. "Okay, I'll let them know they can still pick up Ita-kun."

"Yes, good," he replied with a smile. "Thanks, Princess."

Boruto's lie didn't last long. Valentine's was still the following day, yet her parents had already arrived, ready to whisk their grandchild away. Sarada had the decency to pretend she was surprised when Boruto brought their bags out to the car, and he had laid out clothes for her on the bed.

"Am I supposed to guess where we're going, or will you tell me there's nothing planned again?" She laughed.

"There's nothing planned." He grinned at her, cheeky as ever. "Get dressed."

"Okay." Sarada did as she was told, already used to Boruto's shenanigans. Whatever he had planned, she was sure she would love it anyway.

The drive lasted for two hours. It didn't feel like it lasted that long because the scenery was beautiful. Boruto had rented a cabin up in the mountains, with a beautiful view of a lake. It was quiet and peaceful, the air so fresh and crisp. The interior of the cabin was perfect for two, with a large fireplace and a big comfy bed. Exploring the woods and the lake was something they had both excitedly talked about but no exploring was done throughout the weekend. Boruto was too busy spoiling her, and taking it to heart when Sarada agreed to try for a baby again.

The weekend was lovely, and a much-needed break from reality for Sarada, though she did miss her baby and her home. By the time Boruto was packing up their things at the back of the car, Sarada wrapped her arms around his middle from behind and leaned on his back. "Do we have to go? If we brought Ita-kun, I wouldn't want to leave."

Boruto hummed and kissed the top of her head while his hand slowly stroked up and down her back. "It is nice, but I love being home with you two. Our honeymoon will be here before you know it though… not that I have anything planned." He laughed and brought his hand around to poke playfully at her tummy. "Gotta get married before the baby makes an appearance."

"Oh my gosh, stop it." Sarada giggled. "I don't want to get pregnant before we get married. Ita-kun's still so small." Although she said that, she knew she would still be ecstatic to find out if she was. With all the sex they had that weekend, she really wouldn't be so surprised. "Our wedding is coming up so soon… I'm excited to see our yard full of flowers."

"This year, it's going to blow your mind." A lot of work had gone into the garden but it was sure to be worth it. "It will be here before we know it. I have a vision and I won't settle for anything less than perfection for you."

"Our birthdays first," Sarada reminded him. "And then our wedding. Excited to call me your wife yet?" She grinned.

Boruto smirked then and gave her tummy a light pinch. "What about you, huh? You've been my wife since before we were even together. I remember you taking my card and having no problem going around claiming to be Mrs. Uzumaki."

She gasped. "I have _never_ done that! Neither will I do it any time soon until _after_ our wedding." Sarada puffed her cheeks. "You're the one who insists I do that." The occasion for her to do so had never arisen, but she was sure it would.

"You totally did it." He laughed again and then pressed a few quick kisses to her cheek. "No need to be shy about it. I'm happy that you want to be my wife."

"I have not!" Sarada insisted, and she knew deep in her soul that she had never. But she was excited to be his wife. "You probably have told people I'm your wife, though."

"Of course I have," he scoffed as if it was the most obvious thing. "It comes up _all_ the time."

Sarada giggled and kissed his cheek. "I'm happy you get the chance to do that." She could only imagine how much bragging he would do once they got their rings. "I have a few more months before I can use your card for shopping sprees." Not that Boruto would mind. Until now, he always insisted on paying for whatever she wanted. Little did she know, she spoke too soon.

The two of them stopped by Ninbucks, and right after Boruto ordered, he handed her his wallet and ducked out to go to the bathroom. He was so silly for holding it in, just so he could order for her. "A coffee and a muffin, that would be six-seventy." The cashier smiled.

Sarada returned the smile and pulled out her wallet, frowning that she didn't have enough cash on her. Instead, she pulled out her own debit card and handed it to the cashier.

"Sorry, you don't have enough on here. Do you have another card?"

Sarada blinked. This had never happened before. Then again, ever since her maternity leave, Sarada barely left the house or went to the bank. "Umm… I think so." She opened up her wallet again, only to find she brought the wrong wallet with her. She put her own wallet down and opened up Boruto's, retrieving his credit card and handed it to the cashier.

The cashier looked at it suspiciously, and then at her. "You're Boruto Uzumaki?"

She couldn't believe this person was giving her attitude. Boruto was just with her! "No. He went to the bathroom. He was the guy with me just a little while ago."

The cashier nodded but didn't swipe the card. "And what is your relationship with Mr. Uzumaki?"

"He's my husband." Sarada couldn't believe the words that slipped right out of her mouth so easily, but she couldn't take it back. "We just got married."

"Aww," Boruto's voice surprised her. He'd returned without her knowing and came to stand right behind her. "I love it when my wife brags."

Her cheeks burned, but she held her tongue and smiled. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" She then grinned at the cashier, who looked convinced enough and processed their payment.

After they got their order, Sarada sat down on the couch and huffed. She had a staring contest with her coffee and cake. "All that trouble for these two," she muttered. Boruto was still smiling, still happy to have caught her doing _exactly_ what she said she wouldn't do until April. "You're smiling too much, she sulked.

"Because you make me happy… I love you."

It was hard to keep pouting when he was being so sweet. "I love you too."

.

.

.

For their birthdays, Boruto and Sarada ended up spending the weekend at the vacation home as if to make it a tradition. Boruto did his best to spoil Sarada, just as he always did. He bought her beautiful red roses and a charm anklet with Ita-kun's initials on it. The rest of her gifts came in his actions. He was always kind and affectionate to her, always kissing and touching her as if she deserved the utmost care and love. He always made her feel special, unlike anyone else ever could.

This time, Ita-kun was with them. With the wedding right around the corner, they didn't want to leave him with anyone else. Boruto was as secretive as possible but their honeymoon was happening even if he didn't go into details about it. Ita-kun always kept them happy anyway and whenever he wasn't with them, they always missed him terribly. He was a good baby, rarely crying. He was heavily doted on and carried around more than necessary—both of them spoiling him just as their family members did every chance they got.

The weekend was going smoothly until the morning they were set to depart. Sarada was sleeping soundly when she was awoken by her fiancé's hand combing through her hair, and his familiar, soft-spoken voice.

"Wake up, Princess, I cooked breakfast," he said to her, lips warm and soft as they connected with hers in a brief kiss. Then the smell of bacon and eggs overwhelmed her.

Sarada was a fan of bacon and eggs but for some reason, the smell of them had caused her stomach to turn, a feeling of nausea overcame her. She sat up with a start, and Boruto moved back out of the way, blue eyes wide at how suddenly she moved. The covers were thrown off of her and in the next instant, she was out of bed and dashing towards the bathroom. Sarada barely reached the toilet before the contents of her stomach were coming out in the most violent way.

Boruto was panicked and right behind her, having her hair swept up and held atop her head as quickly as she'd moved. He didn't say anything as she vomited, only held her hair and rubbed her back, silently offering his support. When she had nothing more to throw up, Sarada flushed the toilet and groaned, lifting her head and turning her eyes to find him grinning from ear to ear.

"You're pregnant." He was positively beaming, needing no further proof.

Her brows pulled together, and a pout formed on her lips. "So soon…" she groaned. "And right around the same time, too." She stayed seated on the floor, her hands came up to cradle her flat stomach and rubbed it affectionately. "I can't believe it's only been a year."

"This is great! I was worried we would have to try longer… not that I mind trying. We can pretend you're not pregnant if you want and have lots of sex in every position we can think of."

She took a deep breath and sighed. Boruto knew she was trying—and failing—not to smile. "We shouldn't tell anyone yet."

"Of course. We won't tell until after the honeymoon. If you're ready by then."

He kissed her forehead while letting her hair down and then left her to walk to the sink. She came to stand next to him, ready to brush her teeth while he prepared a cool, damp washcloth for her. He was soon wiped off her face while she put a bit of toothpaste on her toothbrush and then he laid the cloth over the back of her neck.

"All better now? You still have breakfast to eat."

She groaned and brushed her teeth, looking at him as she did. "It didn't smell too good…" she spoke with the toothbrush still in her mouth, making her words nearly inaudible. "I think I'll cook something else." She went back to brushing, and then rinsed off her mouth before wiping it.

"Hey," he pouted. "That's just the baby talking."

"Sure," She teased. "I really don't think I can eat it, though." Sarada smiled at him apologetically. "Do you know what I want to eat right now?"

"No, what?" He asked, pout quickly replaced with a smile. "Whatever you want, you got it."

"I can't believe you don't know what I want!" She laughed. "And here I thought you knew what I wanted before I even knew it myself."

Boruto's face fell, a crease forming between his brows while his lips worried. The gears were turning in his head to the point Sarada could imagine hearing them.

Sarada wrapped her arms around his middle and looked up at him, a smile on her face. "I want chicken and waffles."

"Shit," he laughed under his breath and rested his chin on top of her head. "Okay, yes… I should've known. You will forever be a strange one."

She laughed quietly and gave him a light squeeze. "I don't want to have to drive out, though. Maybe we can see what we can cook before Ita-kun wakes up?"

"Whatever you want, Princess."

.

.

.

The day of their wedding finally arrived, and Sarada could finally relate when her friends and other people would say that their wedding day was one of the happiest days of their lives. There were plenty of days that were in running for being the best day of her life, but she was sure her wedding day would definitely be a tough contender.

Their backyard had finally blossomed fully, filling it with green, yellow, pink, and red flowers. There were additional ones brought in, too. It took some convincing, but Boruto agreed to reduce their guests, only inviting the few who really knew them well and stood by them throughout their relationship.

The two of them had only known each other a little over a year, but Sarada felt like it had been much longer than that. Their son was carried by Shisui, easily being the cutest ring bearer ever. She couldn't help but tear up when they exchanged their vows, Boruto had cried a little more than she did throughout the ceremony, but it was precious. There was no one else she could think of who she would want to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

The reception was still held in their yard, lights set up on the small dance floor where she and Boruto had their first dance. Sarada thought nothing else could top how happy she felt at the moment, all until they started taking pictures, and Ita-kun was in her arms for all of them.

The only time she let go of him was when it was time for the father-daughter dance. Sarada never thought she would ever see her father tear up, but he did, even if it was barely noticeable. She cried then, genuinely touched that her father was truly happy for her and Boruto.

It took everything in her not to tell her father that she was pregnant again, but she held it in, promising that she would do her best to take care of her new family.

"I have no doubt you will do a great job, Sarada. You _and_ Boruto." Sasuke smiled at her and tapped her forehead with his index and middle finger.

Boruto was next to her after a few moments, ready to take her into his arms again. Sasuke nodded at him, and sincerely congratulated them both before leaving.

The moment she wrapped her arms around his neck, she nearly melted in happiness. "I really can't believe this is happening," she whispered, already feeling her throat closing up and another round of tears coming. She looked at her finger, the wedding band sparkling right with her engagement ring. "You make me so happy, Boruto."

"I love you so much," Boruto said softly, blue eyes as bright as ever. "I feel like the luckiest man in the world."

"I love you too." Sarada gazed into his eyes, adoring how beautiful they looked. "I feel the same way. If you told me from last year this would be happening now, I wouldn't believe a single word." She giggled. It was ridiculous but here they were, happily married, and she really wouldn't want to trade it for anything in the world.

"Well, I don't think I would've either. I never thought I'd be here with anyone, much less someone as beautiful and perfect as you." He laughed and was quick to capture her lips in a kiss. "I'd marry you a thousand times if I could."

She smiled a little wider and then leaned on his shoulder as they swayed slowly to the music. "Once is all I need," she said. "Because I'd never let you go." He was now officially hers, after all of their silliness, now she couldn't deny it anymore. She was now his as well. Sarada never thought she would feel so happy to change her name, too. "I can't wait to be called Mrs. Uzumaki."

"Well, _Mrs. Uzumaki,_ I'll be happy to call you any way you like, as often as you like." He grinned.

"I like the sound of that." She pulled away enough just to look at his face. "But I like you calling my princess more."

"You should know you will always and forever be my princess." Boruto's smile softened and he held her a little tighter.

Sarada went on her tiptoes and captured his lips in a sweet kiss. It was definitely one of the best days of her life, mostly because she had Boruto, her whole family and friends with her.

.

.

.

Being the eldest son to two overachieving parents wasn't easy. Top that with grandparents who were even more so was even tougher. Nonetheless, Ita-kun always exceeded expectations. Growing up, he was always hearing how handsome he was, looking like his mother with delicate features and silky raven hair, but popping blue eyes like his father.

He grew up wanting for nothing, both of his parents always supported his likes such as reading and playing games. Sports and cooking. The latter was more of a need since he had two younger siblings to look after—Akira and Aiko.

They may have been twins, but they were polar opposites. On the outside, they looked alike, blond hair and obsidian eyes. But their personalities were glaringly different.

Akira was reserved, and he liked to keep to himself, though he also enjoyed and excelled in sports. He only had his team and a handful of other people he liked to hang out with. Ita-kun was always delightfully surprised to see him have some friends over.

Aiko, on the other hand, was loud and cheerful. She was one of those girls who you just knew was popular, and it was easy to see why. She was not only beautiful but fun and smart, too. Out of all of them, she was the one who took after their dad the most. Causing trouble and rarely ever needing to pay the time for her crimes.

She was a handful, but Ita-kun was glad that despite the twins being different, their relationship amongst the siblings was the strongest. Akira watched Aiko like a hawk, and Aiko never let anyone try anything funny on her brother, too.

Their youngest sibling had a wider age gap, nearly three years from the twins, and five years from Ita-kun. Due to this, his protective nature clicked more with Kimiko. She was a sweet little girl, very affectionate and open to all of her siblings and parents, but to Ita-kun the most. Sometimes he thought he was more drawn to her because they looked alike, having black hair and blue eyes, too.

"Itaaaaaaa!" Aiko came into his room, looking cute—a little _too_ cute—for his liking. "Aren't you going to get ready for your own party?" She pouted. "I know you know you're hot, but can you at least try?"

"What's wrong with my look?" He grinned and adjusted his wide-rimmed glasses. His hand then smoothed down his semi-man bun. "Don't like my sweats and shirt?"

"Eww." Aiko rolled her eyes and then entered his room, going through his closet. "I thought we already talked about this!" She kept going off, ranting about how he was wasting his good looks on plain-looking clothes. "I don't even know how you have a girlfriend."

"Sometimes I don't, too." Ita-kun laughed. "I'm just kidding, you know I'll change out of this." He put his controller down and walked over to his bed, where Aiko was piling clothes on it. "For a fourteen-year-old, you sure like to boss your big brother around."

"If you know what's good for you, you'll listen to me." She threw a dark blue dress shirt at his face, and then a pair of jeans. "Dad has so much money and yet you insist on wearing _these_."

"Dad's always had a lot of money." Ita rolled around his bed and caught Kimiko peeking from the crack of the door. He smiled and beckoned her over. She smiled and ran inside, taking her place next to him on the bed and cuddled up to him. She was already wearing a frilly yellow dress, surely something their dad picked out for her.

At the door, Akira peeked in as well, eating a banana. He has also dressed for the party already.

"Am I the only one who isn't dressed?" Ita laughed. "You guys can have my party for me." He always did prefer being alone or with his close friends and family rather than being in a large gathering.

"No!" Aiko huffed and pulled their sister away from him. Akira was right next to her, pulling Ita up to a sitting position. "Hurry up and get dressed. Mom and dad are almost done getting ready."

Knowing how his parents were, it would take them more time to get ready since they liked to _play around_. He tried not to think about that too much and shoved the image of his parents getting freaky out of his mind.

"Yeah, okay. Get out, I'll get changed." He grimaced, still traumatized with the number of times he had walked in on them. The only upside was no matter how many times they walked in on him and his girlfriend, they never commented. The most was his father peeking in again and saying, "Please tell me you're using a condom."

Ita-kun shuddered and finally got out of bed to get changed. Today was his birthday. His party this year would be different from all the others since today was the day he would open and read letters from the time capsule his parents made for him during his baby shower.

His father hired someone to make a video compilation of that shower, as well as other clips and photos of him growing up. To say he had doting parents was such an understatement. He and his siblings had so many photos and videos, the best of everything growing up.

After he got changed, he finally came down from his room and looked around. The house he had always known since he was a child transformed. It always had a light and happy feeling to him, but seeing it decorated with party favors surely made him feel different. His parents' friends were already there, as well as his grandparents.

Their two golden retrievers were laying around. Cookie had passed two years ago, and it was a tough time for their whole family, but they were glad she gave birth to two puppies—Cupcake and Brownie. They weren't as energetic but still really sweet.

All of his relatives took their time to greet him, presenting him with gifts and kisses, as well as congratulatory remarks. His mother kissed his cheek, and gave him a warm hug, too. Even throughout the years, she still looked so beautiful. He couldn't understand how she dealt with all of them—and their father—at the same time.

His party was fun, not wild or anything like that, but wholesome with a fair amount of embarrassing stories about himself, as supplied by his siblings and parents.

His grandparents were a little more kind, saying nothing but praises. He always knew he was Grandpa Sasuke's favorite, but his speech, albeit short, just solidified it for him.

His uncle and namesake, Itachi, was the speech that surprised him the most, though. Ita-kun refused to read the messages in his capsule, and he held on to it all night, quite excited to be alone to read them.

"Since my nephew won't read my message out loud, I will tell everyone here a little bit of what I remember writing in it." Itachi smiled. "It isn't about you, nephew. It's about your parents."

"Mom and dad?" Ita-kun gawked and then laughed.

"Oh noooo!" Sarada groaned. "Uncle Itachi, _please_."

Shisui only laughed and raised his beer. "Don't worry, Kiddo. There's a bunch about Boruto in there, too."

"Wha—" Boruto gasped. "Me? Let's not and say we did…"

Their reactions only made everyone push Itachi to go on. Stories about his parents were infamous and funny. Some were cringeworthy, and Granddad Shisui and uncle Inojin were always happy to tell stories about them.

"My niece wasn't as lucky with love when she was younger. I was not pleased this was the case." Itachi looked at Sarada and then at Ita-kun. "But it gave her the push and growth she needed for her career and own self-development. I noticed something changed in her when she kept talking about a new boss…" Itachi then looked at Boruto. "Who she always said was so _annoying_."

His grandma, Sakura, snickered. And Ita-kun could see his grandpa looking away.

"I'm honestly quite happy you're not like your mother in that aspect, nephew."

Everyone in the room laughed. His mother hid her face in her husband's shoulder, embarrassed beyond words. "It's not about me!" Sarada whined.

"Well, it was at the moment," Itachi smirked. "But you're right, today is about Ita-kun, and the wonderful man he's shaping up to be. And honestly, I didn't think your father was like that when I first met him. He wouldn't admit he loved your mother, even after getting her pregnant and he had bought her this house."

Ita-kun laughed, knowing this story well. His Aunt Hima liked to tell it often, too. "But you like dad now, right?"

"Your mother does, so I have no choice." Itachi laughed. "But yes, I do. Because you wouldn't be you without him. In my letter, I wrote there that I wish you wouldn't be too much like your parents, but that you would become your own person. But seeing your mom and dad now, and you, I can say you have taken their good traits, and added in some good ones of your own."

Ita smiled. "Thank you. Mom and dad did most of the work."

"A _lot_ of work," Inojin commented. To which, the adults laughed. Ita-kun and the twins cringed, though. He was thankful Kimiko didn't understand. _Yet_.

It wasn't a secret that his parents didn't start out on the right foot. More like, it started with coffee being murdered, a lot of arguments, denial, and all that. But it didn't take a genius to know that his parents were and still are, madly in love with each other. Grandma Sakura liked to tell him about how Sarada didn't know she was in love with Boruto, and when she did, denied it until she no longer could. After that, it was like they became totally different people.

Ita-kun appreciated the stories about his parents and seeing them both take care and love one another deeply. Even with how they took care of him and his siblings, it always showed.

When the party was over, he took his time capsule with him up to his room and he locked the door, wanting to read it alone. He knew he would cry at some point, which was why he alternated the letters with those he knew would be mushy, versus those that would most likely be funny.

He saved his mother's for the last. He always was a mommy's boy. That and his father whispered to him to read it last because there was something in there that he said he would never forget.

Ita-kun did cry reading her letter. It was hard to read all of it, but he easily found the part that his father told him about.

_I was scared when I found out I was pregnant with you, but your father reassured me that we would get through it together. Until now, I still don't know what I would have done if I didn't have him with me._

_You're not here yet, you're still sleeping soundly in my tummy but I already know you will be the happiest baby on earth. Your father and I will make sure of it. But even if we fail, I hope that we can do one thing right, which is to raise you to be a good person. But my own wish for you is simple._

_I wish for you to be like your father._

Ita was glad he removed his contact lenses before reading the letter because he couldn't take it anymore. His tears kept flowing, thinking about how scared she really must have been at the time, but he was glad they both decided to keep and raise him together. The next few lines were even harder to read through his tears but he kept ongoing.

_I wish for you to be as caring and loving, supportive, and protective. To be as selfless and thoughtful. Maybe not to the point that you become too annoying, though. Just kidding. Even if, know that I love you anyway._

_Your father and I aren't perfect, and you won't be as well, but we love and accept you. Always._

_Happy sixteenth birthday, my Ita-kun._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Your mother. Sarada U._

He had a good chuckle, thinking she probably wanted to write not her maiden name, but her current last name. It didn't matter, though. Ita wiped his eyes, his heart feeling so full. He didn't think he was a lot like his father, but he knew he had some of his traits.

He cared about his family and loved them deeply. Everyone knew he didn't like confrontations and fighting, but will do so willingly for the ones he loved. His father wasn't perfect, that was true, but Ita always noticed how well he took care of his mother, and that was the one thing he always wanted to inherit.

"I'm only sixteen and I have a long way to go," he whispered to himself as he read the last few sentences of his mother's letter again.

_That's okay. I'll get there._

_Just like how mom and dad did._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this last chapter, Sincerely Yours has finally come to a close. This doesn't mean that this will be the end of this AU! Watch out for more one-shots from me and Tyy that we will sporadically create and post. Thank you so much for all the love and support throughout the series.
> 
> To me (Kairi), SY is one of the fics that really changed me and my writing. Also, my first time writing smut. Hahaha! This is also me and Tyy's first BoruSara collaboration, and it definitely will not be the last.
> 
> If you're wondering why we don't post as much here anymore, it's because we have created a . If you like our work, please consider supporting us. We are there at (slash) Kairi_Tyy
> 
> We hold weekly polls wherein we ask what kind of fic/prompt you want to see us write, and we have 2 NSFW chapter fics that we publish there-Lift You Up (A BoruSara Actor x Manager AU) and Love in Action (A BoruSara Spy AU). We also have an ongoing BoruSara & InoHima Soulmates fic, Mirror, for the SFW tier. If you would like to request us to write you a fic, we have the VIP and Ultimate options there for you. :)
> 
> Thank you again for reading, fam!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kairi and Tyy


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